Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of products of the primary metals industries. Service centers maintain inventory and may perform functions, such as sawing, shearing, bending, leveling, cleaning, or edging, on a custom basis as part of sales transactions. Illustrative Examples: Cast iron pipe merchant wholesalers Metal rods merchant wholesalers Metal bars (except precious) merchant wholesalers Metal sheets merchant wholesalers Metal spikes merchant wholesalers Metal ingots (except precious) merchant wholesalers Metal pipe merchant wholesalers Nails merchant wholesalers Metal plates merchant wholesalers Noninsulated wire merchant wholesalers
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 423 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector sell capital or durable goods to other businesses. Merchant wholesalers generally take title to the goods that they sell; in other words, they buy and sell goods on their own account. Durable goods are new or used items generally with a normal life expectancy of three years or more. Durable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as motor vehicles, furniture, construction materials, machinery and equipment (including household-type appliances), metals and minerals (except petroleum), sporting goods, toys and hobby goods, recyclable materials, and parts. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling durable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4235 | Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of products of the primary metals industries (including metal service centers) and coal, coke, metal ores, and/or nonmetallic minerals (except precious and semiprecious stones and minerals used in construction). |
| 42351 | Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423510. |
| 423510 | Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of products of the primary metals industries. Service centers maintain inventory and may perform functions, such as sawing, shearing, bending, leveling, cleaning, or edging, on a custom basis as part of sales transactions. Illustrative Examples: Cast iron pipe merchant wholesalers Metal rods merchant wholesalers Metal bars (except precious) merchant wholesalers Metal sheets merchant wholesalers Metal spikes merchant wholesalers Metal ingots (except precious) merchant wholesalers Metal pipe merchant wholesalers Nails merchant wholesalers Metal plates merchant wholesalers Noninsulated wire merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of gold, silver, and platinum--are classified in Industry 423940, Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of automotive, industrial, and other recyclable metal scrap--are classified in Industry 423930, Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 03Merchant wholesale distribution of insulated wire--are classified in Industry 423610, Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Aluminum and aluminum alloy primary forms merchant wholesalers
Aluminum foil, plate, sheet, coil, and roll products merchant wholesalers
Bars, metal (except precious), merchant wholesalers
Bearing piles, metal, merchant wholesalers
Billets, metal, merchant wholesalers
Black plate merchant wholesalers
Blooms, metal, merchant wholesalers
Cable, wire (except insulated), merchant wholesalers
Carbon and alloy steel primary forms merchant wholesalers
Cast iron pipe merchant wholesalers
Castings, metal, merchant wholesalers
Concrete reinforcing bars merchant wholesalers
Copper and copper alloy primary forms merchant wholesalers
Ferroalloys merchant wholesalers
Ferrous metals merchant wholesalers
Forgings, metal, merchant wholesalers
Foundry products merchant wholesalers
Galvanized iron and steel products merchant wholesalers
Grinding balls merchant wholesalers
Ingots (except precious) merchant wholesalers
Lead primary forms merchant wholesalers
Metal pipe merchant wholesalers
Metal products (e.g., bars, ingots, plates, rods, shapes, sheets) merchant wholesalers
Metals sales offices
Metals service centers
Metals, ferrous and nonferrous, merchant wholesalers
Nails merchant wholesalers
Nickel and nickel alloy primary forms merchant wholesalers
Nonferrous metals (except precious) merchant wholesalers
Noninsulated wire merchant wholesalers
Pig iron merchant wholesalers
Pilings, metal, merchant wholesalers
Pipe, metal, merchant wholesalers
Poles, metal, merchant wholesalers
Posts, metal, merchant wholesalers
Rails and accessories, metal, merchant wholesalers
Reinforcement mesh and wire merchant wholesalers
Rods, metal (except precious), merchant wholesalers
Ropes, wire (except insulated), merchant wholesalers
Semi-finished metal products merchant wholesalers
Sewer pipe, metal, merchant wholesalers
Spikes, metal, merchant wholesalers
Springs, steel, merchant wholesalers
Stainless steel merchant wholesalers
Steel merchant wholesalers
Steel wire cloth (screening) merchant wholesalers
Steel wool merchant wholesalers
Storage tanks, metal, merchant wholesalers
Strips, metal (except precious), merchant wholesalers
Structural assemblies, metal, merchant wholesalers
Tanks, storage metal, merchant wholesalers
Terneplate merchant wholesalers
Tin and tin alloy primary forms merchant wholesalers
Tin plate merchant wholesalers
Tubing, metal, merchant wholesalers
Wire (except insulated) merchant wholesalers
Wire and cable (except electrical) merchant wholesalers
Wire rope (except insulated) merchant wholesalers
Wire screening merchant wholesalers
Zinc and zinc alloy primary forms merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
Streamlines inventory management for diverse metal stocks while optimizing warehouse layout for bulky materials like coils and sheets. Real-time tracking ensures high accuracy for mixed SKUs and enables efficient picking for bulk-to-retail orders.
Coordinates orders across multiple sales channels, including e-commerce and wholesale distributors, to prioritize urgent B2B shipments over standard retail deliveries. Provides automated order splitting to handle complex multi-item metal purchase orders from large construction firms.
Optimizes freight routing for heavy loads and hazardous materials to minimize fuel costs and ensure compliance with DOT regulations. Integrates carrier matching to secure best rates on long-haul trucking for distributed metal inventory.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423510.
National Association of Metal Merchants
A trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of metal merchant wholesalers.
NAICS 423510 Profile - United States Census Bureau
An official government page providing definitions and statistics for the NAICS code 423510.
Thomasnet Directory - Metal Service Centers
An industry directory listing verified metal service centers and other metal merchant wholesalers.
