Business View Magazine | December 2020

45 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 OWEN STEEL COMPANY producer of steel and steel-related products in the U.S. Owen Steel also works with several steel erection companies. Some of the company’s primary partners include A. J. McNulty & Co., Inc., out of New York; Cornell & Company, Inc., out of southern New Jersey; and Stonebridge, Inc., out of northern New Jersey. Partnerships are of great importance because the company relies heavily on word-of- mouth marketing, direct sales, and existing relationships. While this has served it well over the years, Owen Steel is facing new challenges. Pate admits, “It’s been a tough marketplace for the last few months. Just saying it creates a lot of uncertainty. Particularly when you’re talking about a customer base who primarily builds office buildings in the major cities.” The COVID-19 pandemic has caused businesses all over the world to reconsider workspaces. Many office workers started working from home earlier this year and have yet to go back. Some businesses are even encouraging this to continue because production hasn’t decreased and savings can be realized through lower utility costs. As businesses look to the future, they may decide they don’t need as much real estate as they once did. But they may also decide to invest in different workplace designs. “And I’m thinking we may see kind of a resurgence of the suburban office building,” Pate speculates. “You know, to kind of spread people out. And the office buildings in the dense cities may have a different kind of a make up to them, where there’s more personal space or more space for people to be separated, things like that.” If that’s the case, Owen Steel will be ready to help build those types of structures. The company prides itself on tackling large, complex projects. And its ability to successfully execute carefully laid plans comes back to its people. In addition to recruiting a creative, highly motivated staff, offering educational