General Steel Industries

Rolling stock manufacturer

General Steel Industries, Inc. (GSI) was an American steel company founded as General Steel Castings Corporation in 1928. The company's first headquarters were in Eddystone, Pennsylvania and, prior to completing its own modern steel foundry in 1930, acquired the operations of the Commonwealth Steel Company, a critical supplier to the rail industry. An acquisition program to diversify from its core steel castings business of manufacturing large steel castings was initiated in the late 1950s and resulted in six divisions and one subsidiary by 1971. The broader business portfolio allowed GSI to close the Castings Division, the company's only business prior to diversification, in 1973. In 1974, GSI was operating 19 plants across the United States and internationally and continued operating as an independent company until it was acquired by Lukens Steel in 1981.

In 1964, declining demand for large steel castings and excess capacity from operating two foundries led the company to consolidate the Castings Division's operations at its Granite City plant at 1417 State Street in Granite City, Illinois. As the company's largest division at the time, losses at St. Louis Car sank the entire enterprise's net income into the red. At the Castings Division, the Granite City plant improved production efficiency and lowered its breakeven point but a strike from November 20, 1971 to January 17, 1972 completely halted production. The Castings Division had not produced satisfactory earnings for five years, lost approximately $3 million in 1972, and "was not competitive in most of its major markets and there were no prospects for future improvement of its position." and the property became known as the South Plant. Granite City Steel likely occupied the facility until the parent company's bankruptcy liquidation in 2003. In 1971, General Steel's corporate offices were at One Memorial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri. In 1973, the company's offices had moved to 8474 Delport Drive (8400 Midland Blvd. ), also in St. Louis, and the concern launched a new consulting services division, GSI Engineering, to design railcar and locomotive trucks and suspension systems, and to manage the licensing of company products that were in service in 50 countries. Less than a decade later, when General Steel was acquired by Lukens Steel in 1981 it was a producer of steel, crushing and conveying equipment, reflective highway signs, and protective coatings for oil and gas pipelines.

By October 2009, most of the buildings at the former General Steel plant, including the old Commonwealth foundry at 1417 State Street, Granite City, Illinois had been demolished. About half of the General Office Building, built by Commonwealth Steel in 1926, remains standing. On the north end of the property, there are still several buildings in use.