We are experts in premium quality.
Experienced in
solutions to meet your business’ demands.
As a Chicago and Minneapolis metal supplier, we understand the demands specific to your business and are committed to providing you with expert solutions.
OUR MISSION
Viking Materials will use our foundation in quality products and dependable service to offer tangible and intangible value to our customers. We intend to be a strategic partner to both our customers and our suppliers through our dedication to continual improvement of ability, product, process, and industry knowledge.
OUR VISION
To be the markets first choice for metal products as a result of an organization-wide commitment to building trust and embracing change.
“We believe that one person can make a difference, but that ongoing success requires a diverse team of dedicated people and companies working together to realize meaningful improvement. ”
OUR HISTORY
A remarkable past leads to an innovative future.
Allen Applegate founded Viking Materials in his Minneapolis garage in 1972 and developed it into a major league metals supplier to the Upper Midwest. Applegate learned early on that service and solving customers problems were the keys to success.
TIMELINE
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1972
Founded by Allen Applegate
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1979
Acquired Caine Steel, Minneapolis
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1985
Opened Chicago facility at Schiller Park
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1991
Moved Chicago operations to new, larger quarters in Franklin Park
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2001
Acquired by Reliance
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2011
Installed 5/16” 72” Redbud leveling line
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2016
Added ¼” 72” Braner slitting line with corrective leveling
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1975
Opened Chicago sales office
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1982
Purchased Minneapolis (New Hope) warehouse and merged Caine Steel into Viking Materials
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1990
Moved to current facility in Minneapolis
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1999
Expanded Minneapolis facility and added Red Bud Blanking Line with in-line embossing capabilities
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2002
Added processing of stainless steel and aluminum
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2012
Doubled cut to length capacity in Franklin Park, with the addition of a 60” Herr-Voss leveling line
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2016
Franklin Park moves into new 90,000 sqft facility
Committed to Quality
ASTM
Most of the material purchased and distributed by Viking Materials is produced to the requirements of ASTM specifications. In many cases, we can also provide material that complies with various other specs on a special order basis.
Click here to view the obsolete and current ASTM specifications.
ISO
The Viking Materials quality management system is based on ISO 9001:2008 International Standards.
Strategically Located.
As a Chicago and Minneapolis metal supplier, our service centers both offer: Rail access and the ability to handle 50,000-pound coils— Providing centralized access for rail and trucking purposes leading to fast turnaround times.
Chicago Service Center
Reached by rail, three major interstate highways, and located close to O’Hare, this 90,000-square foot plant features drive-through loading and unloading.
Minneapolis Service Center
Centrally located with great access to interstates, this 122,000-square-foot plant is served by an independent rail company. Viking Materials employees move rail cars into this plant via their own Trackmobile®.
Reliance INC.
Independently operated, corporately strong.
In 2001, Viking Materials was acquired by Reliance, a family of companies:
Founded in 1939, Reliance is one of the largest metal service center companies in the United States. With more than 180 processing centers in 37 states, Belgium, Canada, China, South Korea and the United Kingdom. We offer over 100,000 different metal products and consistently ranked #1 in customer service surveys. Our annual revenues in excess of $7 billion. Reliance believes in buying well-managed companies and letting them continue to operate independently.
Everything Viking Materials and Reliance does is focused on how to serve the customer better. To learn more about our corporate resources, visit the Reliance web site.
Reliance Website
