# Alton Steel

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**Alton Steel** was a [steel](/source/Steel) manufacturer, based in [Alton, Illinois](/source/Alton,_Illinois), United States. The company was a reincarnation of the Laclede Steel Company, which halted operations of its mill in 1998.[1] The company entered [bankruptcy](/source/Bankruptcy) in 2001, but emerged in 2003 with the new name and new owners. The reborn company employed over 260 hourly and 100 salaried workers in the area.[2] The company announced on January 26, 2026 that they would cease operations, laying off 253 workers. [3]

## History

Laclede Steel was incorporated in 1911 by Thomas Russell Akin who was succeeded by William Markham Akin who in turn was succeeded by Paul B. Akin (Paul's son Congressman and 2012 Republican Senate nominee [Todd Akin](/source/Todd_Akin) was a manager of the company but did not become chairman). It owned two electric-arc furnaces, and owned mills in [Alton, Illinois](/source/Alton,_Illinois), [Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania](/source/Fairless_Hills,_Pennsylvania), [Vandalia, Illinois](/source/Vandalia,_Illinois) and Benwood, West Virginia. Its products included strip, hot rolled bars, wire, pipe, structural tubing and plate.

Laclede was one of the companies contracted by the [Port Authority of New York and New Jersey](/source/Port_Authority_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey) to supply steel for [construction](/source/Building_of_the_World_Trade_Center) of the [World Trade Center](/source/World_Trade_Center_(1973-2001)) in 1967.[4] As a cost-saving measure, the Port Authority chose to use many different, smaller steel suppliers such as Laclede, bidding on smaller portions of steel, rather than buying larger amounts from a single source such as [Bethlehem Steel](/source/Bethlehem_Steel) or [U.S. Steel](/source/U.S._Steel).[5]

Working in the steel mill was featured in an episode of [Dirty Jobs](/source/Dirty_Jobs).

In August 2019, Alton Steel employees took possession of the company through an [employee stock ownership](/source/Employee_stock_ownership) plan.[6][7]

Alton Steel announced on January 26, 2026 that they would cease operations, laying off 253 workers. [8]

## References

1. ["U.S. & Illinois Reach Settlement with Bankrupt Laclede Steel to Facilitate Clean-up & Reopening of Alton, Illinois Mill"](http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/January/03_enrd_033.htm). U.S. Department of Justice. 2003-01-22.

1. ["Bankrupt Laclede Steel Re-Open Doors"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011347/http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=847). Archived from [the original](http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=847) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-17.

1. ["Alton Steel to shut down operations, affecting 253 employees amid industry challenges"](https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/business-journal/alton-steel-to-shut-down-operations-affecting-253-employees-amid-industry-challenges/63-799d9761-36cc-4c48-8b9f-7b839d077527). *www.ksdk.com*. 2026-01-26. Retrieved 2026-01-26.

1. "Contracts Totaling $74,079,000 Awarded for the Trade Center". *The New York Times*. January 24, 1967.

1. Gillespie, Angus K. (1999). [*Twin Towers: The Life of New York City's World Trade Center*](https://archive.org/details/twintowerslifeof00gill). Rutgers University Press. pp. [83](https://archive.org/details/twintowerslifeof00gill/page/83)

1. Telegraph, The (2019-08-27). ["Alton Steel employees take possession of company"](https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Employees-now-own-Alton-Steel-14381815.php). *Alton Telegraph*. Retrieved 2020-04-01.

1. ["J & J sells ownership of Alton Steel to employees"](https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1968887-j--j-sells-ownership-of-alton-steel-tao-employees). *www.argusmedia.com*. 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2020-04-01.

1. ["Alton Steel to shut down operations, affecting 253 employees amid industry challenges"](https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/business-journal/alton-steel-to-shut-down-operations-affecting-253-employees-amid-industry-challenges/63-799d9761-36cc-4c48-8b9f-7b839d077527). *www.ksdk.com*. 2026-01-26. Retrieved 2026-01-26.

- ["Laclede Steel Background"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060318111634/http://www.steelnews.com/companies/producers/laclede_archive.htm). SteelNews.com. Archived from [the original](http://www.steelnews.com/companies/producers/laclede_archive.htm) on March 18, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-17.

## External links

- [Alton Steel](http://www.altonsteel.com/index.html) (official site)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alton Steel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Steel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Steel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.