Company History

1970's Kenneth F. Corneau, still United Steel's President, started the company in 1974 as East Hartford Welding. He sold his car and motorcycle to purchase a truck and welding machine and began traveling from Vernon to East Hartford repairing dumpsters. Within a year, he was renting about 800 square feet of space at 1205 Main Street in East Hartford. There, he started fabricating dumpsters, rails, stairs, and miscellaneous metals. The business grew and in 1975 an additional 800 square feet was added and the first employee was hired. Through vision and hard work, the company continued to expand and by 1978 two additional employees were added. Both employees remain with United Steel today.

1980's Recognizing the potential of the business, Mr. Corneau decided to build his own facility in the Buckland Industrial Park in Manchester where they began fabricating light structural steel along with increasing their miscellaneous metals operation. The company continued to grow and, in 1986, they were already outgrowing the available space of that prestigious industrial park. In 1987 they moved once again, this time to a 14 acre parcel on Corneau Way in South Windsor. They felt confident this 30,000 square foot facility would be sufficient - and it was, but not for long.

1990's By the early 1990's, in addition to needing a larger facility, it was time to change the company's name to reflect what it had become - the largest firm of its kind in the region and an industry leader. So, East Hartford Welding became United Steel. In East Hartford, Mr. Corneau was familiar with the old Republic Steel Building, which had been abandoned for 15 years, and knew it would make a great facility. He purchased the complex, demolished some areas, updated the wiring and plumbing, and modernizing the shop and office areas. United Steel then moved into this 125,000 square foot facility in 1996.

2000's In 2001, United Steel added a 20,000 square foot addition to enhance it's shipping operation. As of 2005, United Steel had 140 employees, produced 10,000 tons of steel per year, and generated $45 million in sales. The company participates in a TEC Group (a group of entrepreneurs who meet monthly to improve their businesses), serves on the board of the AGC (an association dedicated to the building and construction industries), and is a member of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and The Construction Institute. The major charity supported by United Steel is the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut (www.biact.org) and the company sponsored the first "Walk for Thought" in Hartford, Connecticut.