Chapter 3 ~ Atlantic Steel 138 Acres bounded by 16th Street, I 75/85, Bishop Street and Northside Avenue 1901 ~ Eight Atlanta businessmen founded the Atlanta Steel Hoop Company. Atlanta Steel Hoop produced commodities formerly made in the north for the agrarian south, specifically wire for binding cotton bales and hoops for wooden barrels of turpentine, rosin and pitch. 1915 ~ Reorganized into the Atlantic Steel Company. 1920's ~ Through the ensuing years WWI accelerated business allowing Atlantic Steel to broaden its product base in reaction to national need and market demand. 1929 ~ Stock market crash allowed for next profit. 1950's ~ During WWII Atlantic Steel products included military housing, gun mounts and ship and aircraft parts. As with many industries during the war, women assumed production roles in the mill. The mill produced 750,000 tons of steel annually. It produces 60 products, including Dixisteel wire products, bars, bands, angles, channels, and tees. These were the most successful years for Atlantic Steel. 1963 ~ Fire destroys most of the wire and nail production buildings. 1973 ~ Company announces intention to build a new Cartersville plant and sell Atlanta facility 1974 ~ In the years following WWII, Atlantic Steel expanded exponentially. With 2,000 employees producing three-quarter-million tons of steel annually, the company was Georgia Power's largest customer, consuming enough power to supply a city of 60,000. 1979 ~ IVACO, a Montreal steel maker, buys Atlantic Steel including Cartersville and Atlanta facilities. 1980's ~ Affected by the energy crisis and falling steel prices & foreign and domestic competition, some of Atlantic Steel's operations were shut down, and Atlantic Steel moved out of the city to Cartersville. Employment dropped from 1,400 in 1979 to 400 in 1997. 1990 ~ Furnace shuts down. 1991 ~ Melting steel to a liquid form shifts from Atlanta to Cartersville. 1993-1995 ~ Various wire-making operations in Atlanta shut down. 1996 ~ Atlantic Steel lays off Cartersville workers and Birmingham Steel buys the plant. 1997 ~ Atlantic Steel announces it will sell the Atlanta property to Jacoby Development. 1998 ~ Jacoby Development purchased Atlantic Steel for "about $76 million" from IVACO and Atlantic Steel rolled its last piece of steel. 1998 ~ Atlanta Council approves rezoning for Jacoby's mixed use development.

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