American Iron and Steel Institute

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) is an association of North Americansteel producers. Its predecessor organizations date back to 1855 making it one of the oldest trade associations in the United States. AISI assumed its present form in 1908, with Elbert H. Gary, chairman of the United States Steel Corporation, as its first president.

Its development was in response to the need for a cooperative agency in the iron and steel industry for collecting and disseminating statistics and information, carrying on investigations, providing a forum for the discussion of problems and generally advancing the interests of the industry.

AISI spearheads initiatives to favorably profile the industry's reputation.

Mission, vision, and goals

AISI describes its mission as follows: To influence public policy, educate and shape public opinion in support of a strong, sustainable U.S. and North American steel industry committed to manufacturing products that meet society's needs.

The stated vision of the Institute and its members is for a sustainable North American steel industry strategically positioned for growth and innovation and as a leader in the global marketplace.

The association attempts to promote the following ideas:

1. The North American steel industry is world-class and operates in an expanding market; it is aggressively securing market share from competing materials and imports; and the North American steel industry is fully capable of taking advantage of opportunities in the global market.
2. Steel industry customers rely on the North American steel producers as a vital component of their success and are investing in manufacturing technologies that support a strong steel demand.
3. Shareholders are enthusiastic about the industry and its products and prospects.
4. Steel is an attractive industry for high-caliber talent at all levels.
5. Member companies and the North American steel industry are growing, profitable, and respected in the global marketplace.
6. The steel industry is recognized for its environmental, health and safety performance.

History

AISI's predecessor organization, the American Iron Association was established in 1855 by ironmasters, clustered mainly in the Eastern U.S., citing the need for an organization "to take all proper measures for advancing the interests of the trade in all its branches". That year, world pig iron production amounted to 7 million tons.

In 1864, steel" style="background-image: none; color: rgb(6,69,173); text-decoration: none; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial" title="Bessemer steel">Bessemer steel was first made in the United States, and the Association, headquartered in Philadelphiachanged its name to the American Iron and Steel Association (AISA).

Early in the 20th century, as the industry grew, its leaders saw the need for an organization to supplement the largely statistical activities carried on by AISA. That led to the founding of the American Iron and Steel Institute in 1908, with Elbert H. Gary as its first chief executive.

From 1908 to 1912, the Institute and the Association functioned side by side. But on January 1, 1913, the Association was merged into the New York-based Institute.

Judge Gary would continue as CEO for 19 years. He was succeeded in 1927 by Charles M. Schwab.During the Roaring '20s, AISI statistics showed that the United States produced 40 percent of the world's supply of iron and steel.

In 1931, the board elected Robert P. Lamont, Herbert Hoover's Secretary of Commerce, as CEO. Lamont was the only person from outside the steel industry ever to hold the position.

In 1933, at the depths of the Great Depression, United States Congress adopted the National Industrial Recovery Act, and AISI was called upon by the federal government to act for the steel industry in the establishment and administration of a Code of Fair Competition. That responsibility was so vast that almost overnight the Institute's staff had to be expanded from about a dozen people to almost 100. The NRA, however, was declared unconstitutional in May 1935 and replaced in part by the National Labor Relations Act. Subsequently, the AISI staff was reduced to about 30 and the AISI Committee on Industrial Relations was established to address labor issues.

Also in the 1930s, it became apparent that the industry's technical terminology had become chaotic. The Institute came to grips with the problem, and out of its efforts came the AISI steel products manuals. They provided makers and users of steel with generally recognized definitions, descriptions and practices pertaining to the manufacture, chemistry, metallurgy and adaptability of steel products.

During World War II, AISI technical committees helped conceive the national emergency steels that conserved critical alloying elements. In recognition of that contribution to the winning of the war, the Institute was presented the Distinguished Service Award of the United States Department of the Army. AISI also created a special committee on industrial health to help place returning injured war veterans in steel jobs.

In response to the growing involvement of the Federal government in the operation of our market economy, AISI opened its first Washington office in 1966. The government relations department was joined in the U.S. capital by several other departments in 1969; and by the end of 1974, the Institute had moved all of its operations to Washington, except for regional building codes offices. Shortly before the new office opened, 115 people were employed by the Institute.

During the 1970s the combined AISI Committees of Structural Steel Producers and Steel Plate Producers engaged in a series of research and promotional seminars and publication programs that focused, for example, on the use of steel storage tanks and transmission pipage in the water utility business, innovations in computer-aided designfor structural steel frames for high-rise and arena buildings, applications for structural and steel plate in new mass transit system designs, and in utility poles for high voltage electrical transmission systems. These committee activities were frequently co-sponsored with the cooperation of the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Steel Plate Fabricators Association.

In the 1970s changes were made in the Institute's structure to address such emerging public policy issues as theenvironment and energy, as well as to become more active on behalf of the industry in debates over tax policiesand policies concerned with international trade.

In the opening years of the 21st century, restructuring of the steel industry resulted in far-reaching changes in AISI. Like its member companies, AISI downsized its staff. As its member companies became more customer-driven, AISI has also increased its market development activity. Public policy activity has grown in importance, as has collaborative research and the role of associate members, almost all of whom are suppliers of the steel industry.

The Council of Electric Furnace Producers and the North American Steel Council were established as integral parts of AISI, and the Steel Can Recycling Institute (SCRI) as a satellite. SCRI recently became SRI, as it dropped "Can" from its name and expanded its interests to other end products made of steel.

The original association's By-laws provided for committees: one on statistics and another on finance. The Institute's By-laws at the time of its incorporation provided for four standing committees: Foreign Relations, Statistics, Improvement in Methods, and Membership. Today there are more than 40 specialist committees.

Steel industry

AISI members make over 80% of the steel produced in North America. The Institute speaks out on behalf of the industry on a wide array of issues. AISI member companies are located in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Institute seeks to develop unified positions on issues of mutual concern to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region. Through AISI, the industry is able to work through collaborative partnerships and pursue market development programs aimed at expanding markets for steel, research and development (R&D) projects aimed at best practices in steelmaking and initiatives designed to achieve new milestones in energy efficiencyand sustainability.

Public policy

• Energy
  • The U.S. steel industry has voluntarily reduced its energy intensity per ton of steel shipped by approximately 27 percent since 1990.
  • The domestic steel industry is participating in the CO2 Breakthrough Program which explores alternative energy sources.
• Trade
  • The Institute aims to strictly enforce trade agreements and defend against unfair trade.
• Market Development
  • High-Strength, lightweight steel has contributed to America's bridges, railways, pipelines, utilities, and highways.
  • The U.S. needs to invest $225 billion annually for 50 years to upgrade our infrastructure system to a state of "good repair."
  • Steel is the most recycled product on Earth.
• Climate Change
  • 20% of the price of steel is represented by the cost of energy.
  • Steel has voluntarily reduced energy consumption by 27% since 1990.
  • Domestic steel has had the steepest decline of total air emissions among nine major manufacturing sectors.
• China Agenda
  • 2.8 Million jobs were lost to China between 2001-2010.
  • In 2008, U.S.' trade deficit to China was $266.3 billion.
  • China disregards its commitments made to WTO.

Manufacturing

Environment

• Recycled
  • Steel is North America's Number #1 Recycled Material. Each year, more steel is recycled than aluminum, paper, glass and plastic combined. Since the 1960s, approximately half of the steel produced in the U.S. has been recycled through the steelmaking process.
• Keep America Beautiful
  • KAB is an environmental organization representing 569 certified affiliates, which includes 22 states, 234 counties, and over 300 cities across the United States.
• Industry Commitment
  • The steel industry has a standing commitment to sustainability backed by significant investment in new technologies to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and heighten productivity. The North American steel industry has achieved a 23.2 percent reduction since 1990 in energy intensity per ton of steel shipped. We have been a leader in reducing energy intensity in the steel manufacturing process and correspondingly reducing greenhouse gas emissions through recycling and process innovation. The steel industry has further committed to achieving a 10 percent increase in sector-wide average energy efficiency by 2012, using a 2002 baseline of approximately 14 million BTU per ton of steel shipped as part of the DOE's Climate VISION Program. The industry achieved 7.4 percent improvement from 2002 - 2003.
• Sustainability
  • The North American steel industry is committed to principles of sustainable development in manufacturing innovative products that answer society's needs. This commitment is aimed at improving the quality of life for everyone now and for generations to come. Our industry recognizes and values the interdependence of environmental, social and economic factors.
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