NEWS: COMPANY PROFILE
A solid steel success
BY MEREDITH WHITTEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY DON KADAIR
Based in rural St. Helena Parish, Southland Steel Fabricators has put itself on the cutting edge of the steel fabrication business—and at the center of its community.
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ust off the Zachary Taylor Parkway in Greensburg, sitting on 60 acres amidst the gentle hills, pasture land and piney forests of rural St. Helena Parish, you’ll find one of the region’s fastest growing and most successful businesses. From its 300,000-square-foot facility, Southland Steel Fabricators, a family-owned and -operated industrial steel fabrication company, serves the refining, power and chemical markets, among others, along the Gulf Coast, throughout the United States and, on occasion, overseas. Established in 1986 by Joseph E. Lombardo, who had worked in the steel industry for many years, Southland Steel offers a full spectrum 1012industryreport.com
of products and services related to the steel fabrication industry, from 3-D modeling to steel fabrication to fireproofing. The company combines top-of-the-line CNC equipment, a dedication to customer service, and an outstanding record for quality and safety. FROM SWEEPING TO LEADING From the beginning, Southland Steel has been a family affair. When he was 14 years old, Joey Lombardo started working summers for the
company his father founded. After finishing high school, he took on a project management role. He moved up the managerial ladder, serving as general manager and vice president before taking over as president of Southland Steel about three years ago. Lombardo also bought out his father’s ownership of the company. “I grew up in the shop,” Lombardo says. “My first job was sweeping the floor. That gave me a good perspective.” Under the younger Lombardo’s
“I grew up in the shop. My first job was sweeping the floor. That gave me a good perspective.” —JOEY LOMBARDO, owner, Southland Steel (above)
leadership, Southland Steel has experienced tremendous growth. In 2000, Southland Steel had annual revenue of about $3 million to $5 million. In the last three years, the company’s annual revenue has increased to around $50 million to $55 million. With a staff of 225 people, Southland Steel is the largest private-sector employer in St. Helena Parish. “Our growth has been steady,” Lombardo says. “We do more in a month now than we used to do in a year.” Some of Southland’s recent projects include a $29 million, 10,152-ton project for phases 1 and 2 of Sasol’s new North American chemicals complex in Westlake; a $42.8 million, 12,738-ton project for an OL3 expansion for Formosa
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