Schuff Steel
For the past 40 years, Schuff Steel has been building some of the largest, most complex projects in the country. Founded in 1976 by David Schuff and son Scott Schuff, Schuff Steel has grown to become the nation’s premier provider of structural steel fabrication and erection services, leveraging a robust in-house design/assist and design/build engineering group to deliver the most cost-effective steel designs.
Schuff Steel’s impressive project resume includes several professional sporting venues such as Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver; University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.; Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.; Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif.; Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.; and Marlins Park in Miami, Fla. Schuff Steel also has made significant contributions to the Las Vegas strip, providing structural steel services for notable projects such as The Palazzo Resort and Casino, CityCenter Resort and Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the Paris Hotel and Casino including the impressive half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.
Originally, Schuff Steel self-performed erection of its projects but relied on subcontractors to provide steel fabrication. That all changed in 1985, when Schuff acquired its first fabrication shop in Phoenix, Arizona; one of the largest steel fabrication facilities in the Southwestern United States. Since that time, Schuff Steel has grown its national presence, now with eight fabrication facilities located in California, Arizona, Texas, Kansas and Georgia.
Today, Schuff Steel serves a variety of end markets, from industrial, mining, energy, power and water distribution, to some of the nation’s largest commercial projects such as the new Wilshire Grand Tower in downtown Los Angeles and the expansive new corporate headquarters for Apple in Cupertino, Calif.
Schuff Steel credits much of its success to providing value-added services and solutions for clients far beyond what is usually provided by typical steel fabricators. With its in-house engineering department, Schuff Steel is an industry leader in the design-assist/design-build delivery method. Schuff Steel’s engineering group utilizes the latest technology and building information modeling systems (BIM) to deliver the most cost-effective steel design possible.
“This total building concept is what separates Schuff Steel from its competitors,” states Tim Piatt, vice president of operations at Schuff Steel’s Gulf Coast division. “Since we are erectors as well as fabricators, we keep that in mind while our in-house engineering department collaborates with our customer’s engineering firm to develop the best, most cost-effective designs and solutions. And when it comes to fabrication, Schuff enjoys the luxury of sharing shop capacity between our eight fabrication plants. “
Schuff Steel’s Gulf Coast division, located in Houston, primarily works on industrial facilities, power plants and refineries across the nation’s industrial complex. Even though industrial work is the division’s core strength, it also performs commercial fabrication and erection as well.
“Given that the current price of oil has impacted the energy sector and limited industrial construction opportunities, diversification across end markets is critical,” Piatt says.
Continual education is another essential component of Schuff Steel’s success. “In an effort to ensure consistency across all business segments, Schuff is committed to continued education of its workforce,” Piatt says. “For many years, the company has been sending employees to its Phoenix headquarters for structured training sessions. This eventually evolved into Schuff University; a large classroom located in the Phoenix office that seats over 50 people. In addition, online meetings have allowed Schuff to expand that idea by making it possible for attendees to participate in Schuff University training sessions remotely. “
When asked about Schuff’s most valuable resource, Piatt states, “It’s the employees and their commitment to the job,” a lesson he learned during his 22 years in the military. “You offer people good training and the support to get the job done,” Piatt explains. “They in turn become your greatest asset. You get that by treating them as a valuable asset and letting them know they’re appreciated for getting a job done well.”