GROWING TOWARD THE FUTURE
Sabel Steel is Proud to Support AHERO
By Sean Sabel
( L-R ) Sean and Keith Sabel of Sabel Steel show the company ' s inventory ... A huge lot full of recyclable scrap metal
Our company , Sabel Steel , is a buyer & seller of metal-based products for industries ranging from agriculture , oil and mining to transportation , paper , and more . A family founded and run operation based in Montgomery , Ala ., it has a long history of serving businesses large and small in Alabama and other states .
Back in 1856 , my own forefathers established the hide and fur trading company that , after the Civil War , began to expand . Sabel Steel had begun to barter for neglected or war-damaged farm equipment , offering our goods in exchange . Once we built up enough inventory , we would sell the scrap metal to local foundries .
With recyclable scrap metal more or less falling into our laps , this worked itself into
40 AHERO MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021 what we ’ ve maintained as our oldest part of the business ever since !
The company was taken over in the late 1980s but was bought back in 2000 by my father , Keith Sabel , from a business in New York . This put it back into family ownership . He then proceeded to expand it to other states , which soon opened selling opportunities throughout the Southeastern region .
The biggest component my father implemented for our success was joining the North American Steel Alliance . This co-op has given us the buying power to compete in a tight market and has made our recent success possible . Today , we also sell newly made steel to end users , rebar fabrication , scrap metal recycling and a wholesale center that specializes in irrigation and drainage .
It ’ s a true American story in so many ways , so we wanted to find one special way we could give back : Since this is our 165th year , we decided to donate $ 165,000 to charities . My grandfather and great uncle served during WWII , so that has hit close to our family . As we researched , AHERO stuck out to us as a worthy recipient of a large portion of the funds .
We have several Veterans I respect and admire working at the company . How I view Veterans and their impact on me also came from my friend Phil Schermer , a Marine who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Humvee driver . On a mission , Phil ’ s convoy drove over exploding land mines , leaving him with extensive damage to his foot . He had to have several surgeries and skin grafts , but he made