The front entrance located on Centre Street reveals the first traces on an old, abandoned factory cleverly hidden by the bustle of shift workers driving to and from their work at the nearby industries, but one can most easily identify Atlas Steel by its rusted façade.
Founded in 1928, the Atlas Specialty Steels plant was one of Canada's key providers of specialty and tool steel products. During World War II, the company was responsible for producing rifles, anti-tank guns, aircraft steel, automobile axles, drive shafts, Browning machine guns, and other gun barrels. They were capable of producing over 4000 gun barrels every month at the peak of the wartime period! In addition to the wartime developments, the factory was also pivotal in supplying the gold mining industry with hollow drill steels. The company employed men, women, and teens over its operating lifespan. Several migrant Chinese workers made their first forays into North American working life at the Atlas Steel plant before moving elsewhere. At the peak of operation, 3000 employees worked for the company.
After the war they had diversified into manufacturing stainless steel and titanium. In 1961, they had become the first company in Canada to use consumable electrode vacuum arc melting furnaces to temper with their steels for the purpose of increasing their flexibility and durability.
Over the years, the company also had sustained their involvement with their employees, their families, and the local community as a whole. Family outings were a regular occurrence for employees when they were not working hard at the factory. The company also sponsored youth sports teams.
In 1989, the company was sold to the South Korean based Sunni Group and Atlas Steels were subsequently forced to liquidate their assets. As a result, all of their employees were laid off in the coming years and the city of Welland began to fall on hard times.
In 2010, ASW Steel purchased the old factory and established what would be the lasting remains of Atlas Steel with a workforce of only 100 employees.
Located near the rear of the Atlas Steel factory, along Ross Street heading north, there is a small playground known as Almond Street Park. This location is another ideal spot for taking pictures with a high-powered camera as well as a good place to bring the kids if they're tagging along for the adventure.
ASW Steel
| Phone: | (905)735-5500 |
| Fax: | (905)735-4603 |
| Website: | https://www.asw-steel.com/ |
| Call Ahead: | Yes |
This location is accessible by all modes of transportation.
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