CHRG Metals Doubles Facility Size with Relocation
02/08/2013 - Due to increased business and the need for additional processing equipment and storage of inventory, CHRG Metals, a specialty division of O’Neal Steel, is preparing to move to a facility twice the size of its current operation in Houston.
Due to increased business and the need for additional processing equipment and storage of inventory, CHRG Metals, a specialty division of O’Neal Steel, is preparing to move to a facility twice the size of its current operation in Houston. The relocation in Northwoods Industrial Park is scheduled for the weekend of 8 February, with business as usual resuming on Monday, 11 February. “As far as customer service is concerned, the move will be totally seamless,” said general manager Tate Forester.
CHRG Metals is a distributor and processor of corrosion and heat-resistant grades of specialty stainless steel and nickel alloy plate. The company serves customers throughout North America engaged in industries ranging from oil and gas exploration to chemical manufacturing and power generation.
The expansion comes almost exactly one year after CHRG first opened its doors. The new facility, located at 12223 F.M. 529 in Houston, increases the company’s warehouse space from 17,000 square feet to 34,000 square feet, with another 4,200 square feet of office space. In the past year, the number of employees has grown from 12 to 17; and the addition of several more in the near future is anticipated.
Forrester said one of the main benefits of the extra space is that it will allow for the installation of a new high-definition, high-efficiency plasma machine, capable of cutting stainless and nickel plate up to 6” thick with extremely tight tolerances. In addition to plasma cutting, CHRG offers water jet and laser cutting services.
The larger facility also provides the space necessary for greater depth of inventory, including additional sizes of the various grades of material currently stocked. The layout of the new plant also allows for a dedicated quality assurance area and a smoother, more efficient flow of material in line for processing.
The CHRG Metals division of O’Neal Steel is one of more than a dozen companies (and one of five in Houston, including O’Neal Steel, O’Neal Manufacturing Services, Aerodyne Alloys, and Philip Cornes) that comprise O’Neal Industries, the U.S.A.’s largest family-owned group of metals service centers. With sales of approximately $2.5 billion in 2012, O’Neal Industries is based in Birmingham, Ala., and has more than 90 specialized facilities throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
