Delaco Steel, Kasle Steel create exposed blanking joint venture

Delaco Steel Corp. and Kasle Steel Corp. have formed a joint venture to produce automotive steel blanks primarily for exposed applications.

Delaco Kasle LLC is 51 percent owned by Delaco Steel, a certified minority enterprise. Kasle Steel owns 49 percent. The venture will operate from Delaco's former Quality Coil Processing facility located in Woodhaven, Mich. The 100,000-sq.-ft. facility has two exposed blanking lines and annual production capacity of 200,000 tons.

This is Delaco's second joint venture in less than a year. The company announced the formation of Delaco-Kenwal Steel LLC, a steel sales venture in Tennessee formed with Kenwal Steel Corp. in September 2003. The company also is the majority partner with Severstal NA in the Delaco Steel Processing LLC joint venture, which manages slitting for the Detroit-based steelmaker.

Delaco Kasle LLC is Kasle's third ongoing joint venture. The company is the managing partner in Kasle Metal Processing, Jeffersonville, Ind., a joint venture with Automatic Feed Co. specializing in exposed blanking. Kasle and Marubeni Itochu Steel America are partners in the Regional Steel Distribution Center in Holt, Mich.