What's new
What's new

Earle M. Jorgensen Company

  • Thread starter otrlt
  • Start date
  • Replies 71
  • Views 17,152
O

otrlt

Guest
I just got had a visit from my Earle M. Jorgensen sales rep. He seemed to be very knowledgeable guy and we discussed several points about steel.

He was very interested in my questions and my steel requirements and he gave me some useful info on Heat Treating. Our discussion expanded once I found my 60 year old EMJ Reference Book.

Before he left he told me that none of EMJ materials come from China. He also left me a brand new copy of the Earle M. Jorgensen Reference Book which has been brought back recently after decades of absence.

In closing, I was impressed with his knowledge and from now on whenever possible, I will purchase Earle M. Jorgensen steel.
 
I haven't even bothered with Jergenson in maybe 6 or 7 years..

If I didn't want a container load of steel, they didn't want to know who the fuck I was..

They can suck my balls.

Also, if you didn't know.. Earle M. Jorgenson, is owned by the same folks that own
Yarde Metals.
Viking Materials
Valex Corp
Tubular Steel Inc.
Tube Service Co.
Team Tube WTF???
Sunbelt Steel
Sugar Steel Corporation
Siskin Steel and Supply
Service Steel Aerospace
Reliance Steel
Reliance Metals
Reliance Aerospace Solutions.
Precision Strip Inc.
Precision Flamecutting and steel
Phoenix Metals
PDM steel service centers.
Pacific Metal
Northern Illinois Steel
National Specialty Alloys.
Metal Web
Metals USA
Metal Center
Liebovich Brothers (Illinois)
Infra Metals
Fox Metals And Alloys
Ferraloy corporation
Encore Metals
EMJ
Durrett Sheppard Steel
Diamond Manufacturing
Delta Steel
Crest Steel
Continental Alloys
Clayton Metals
Chatham Steel
Chapel Steel
Central Plains Steel
CCC Steel
Bralco
Best Manufacturing
AMI metals
American Metals Corp
Aluminum and Stainless Inc.
Allegheny Steel
All Metal Services.


My local Reliance salesman is really cool, but I don't need his stuff..
My local Bralco rep is cool as hell, but the asshole in the sales office
in ABQ is a piece of shit... Hey DALE, I'm talking to you DALE.. If you
are still there.. I won't do business with BRALCO in ABQ because of DALE..
Dale likes to fuck people.. DALE is THE reason I use Copper and Brass.
Fuck you Dale.

I'd get frustrated because I would order something from Bralco, and they would
keep putting off delivery... PUT IT ON THE BRALCO TRUCK!!!, We can't do that..

At least with EMJ, I knew I would get it the next Tuesday or Thursday if they
had it in Phoenix, if I could even get a quote, I just don't bother anymore.
 
The Earle M. Jorgensen Reference Book

Excellent reference book, covers most metals and their heat treatment procedures. At about an inch thick and weighing in at about 3 lbs this book has helped me make material purchases for the past 30 years.file (002).jpg
 
The Earle M. Jorgensen Reference Book

Excellent reference book, covers most metals and their heat treatment procedures. At about an inch thick and weighing in at about 3 lbs this book has helped me make material purchases for the past 30 years.View attachment 222164

It is a nice reference book, I actually refer to it quite a bit as you can tell.. But
the company, as far as I'm concerned still sucks.

25731564767_4daf71500a_c.jpg
 
It is a nice reference book, I actually refer to it quite a bit as you can tell..


I didn't know that they printed one for aluminum only.

It says STEEL above that... Below Aluminum in the pic.. But there is little to nothing on the cover
that says EMJ or Jergenson.. Therefore it is upside down.. It actually says STEEL in GIANT
letters across the top..
 
...My local Reliance salesman is really cool, but I don't need his stuff..
My local Bralco rep is cool as hell, but the asshole in the sales office
in ABQ is a piece of shit... Hey DALE, I'm talking to you DALE.. If you
are still there.. I won't do business with BRALCO in ABQ because of DALE..
Dale likes to fuck people.. DALE is THE reason I use Copper and Brass.

Wow, bitter ever?
 
Sorry Bob, happy customer here since 1974. Never had an experience like you describe. Been taken to dinner many times by our Denver EMJ reps thru the years, though, and not at Burger King.

I have two copies of the reissued book with EMJ on the cover and two of the old one with Jorgensen. Absolutely the best guide to metal properties ever published. It could serve as a textbook for a metallurgy class.

After the name change they had a binder-size new one, in two volumes, obviously redesigned by art majors who didn't have a clue about its purpose. All they heard was complaints. Mine went in the trash and I used the old edition. Our rep was very happy to hand out the new one. Same heavy-duty cover, same font and everything—like an old friend.

For a while during the recession the tubing section was useless because the mills had quit making many wall thicknesses I used to take for granted, but that situation has improved to where the availability is amazing. Recently bought about 500 lbs of S-7. Priced it from Hudson Tool Steel and EMJ was cheaper even without the free delivery.

No complaints here.
 
Wow, bitter ever?

Yeah, I am bitter... That POS DALE, fucked me hard.. Time
and price, and then shipping because it came from further away...

Fuck Dale.

And it sucks, because my rep is awesome, and I'd love to give her
some business, but I'm just going to get fucked in the end because of the
guy that runs the sales department. My sales guy was awesome too, but
Dale hamstrung him and fucked me more than once.. Rick, He's gone now...

So FUCK DALE.. FUCK HIM RIGHT IN THE EAR... If it was more than a modest order
DALE would take it over, jack the price, jack the shipping, delay the shipment, and
then I would assume take the commission.

so YES, I am bitter.. He not only fucked over ME, he fucked over some people that he
worked with that I really liked and respected and I liked working with...

So yes, FUCK DALE!!!!
 
For a while during the recession the tubing section was useless ...
The lady that did Kilsby Tube Supply in the bay area was the best !! She really knew her stuff. I found the Ryerson book more useful than the Jorgensen book, and A&M Castle had the best quality. And they all had stock right in the east bay, next day delivery.

Sadly, most of that is gone :( Have to laugh at Bobw, that's how I feel about Western Tool. Jerks :D
 
EMJ is the same here in the east. I used to buy one item from them because no one else had it. Now Alro stocks it for me and I haven't bought from EMJ since. I send them an RFQ every 6 months or so just to see if things are still the same and we have a laugh at the quote. They are ALWAYS the highest quote, and anywhere from 25% to 100% more than the next highest, not even compared to the lowest.
I can't remember having a salesman darken my door.
I don't buy a lot, a big order for me is 3000 lbs, I'm sure that makes a difference.
 
I am not a big buyer either. Maybe up to 3000 lbs of stainless at a time. I have priced them and on some stuff they were twice as high. I am all for made in the usa but, damn! I will take my buisness elsewhere.
 
I just got had a visit from my Earle M. Jorgensen sales rep. He seemed to be very knowledgeable guy and we discussed several points about steel.

He was very interested in my questions and my steel requirements and he gave me some useful info on Heat Treating. Our discussion expanded once I found my 60 year old EMJ Reference Book.

Before he left he told me that none of EMJ materials come from China. He also left me a brand new copy of the Earle M. Jorgensen Reference Book which has been brought back recently after decades of absence.

In closing, I was impressed with his knowledge and from now on whenever possible, I will purchase Earle M. Jorgensen steel.

I buy a lot of stuff from EMJ. By far my preferred metal supplier with about 70% of my metals business. I don't know what he told you about not buying from China, but they source from pretty much anywhere (which I expect - they are selling a commodity man). I buy a shitload of 0.125" aluminum plate and 80% for sure is of Chinese origin. And it it pretty good too. The rest is usually from Italy (but labeled Alcoa).

I also bought a lot of 6" round 304ss last September (like 5tons of it)...All made in China. So he knows his own products less than I do.

Most aluminum bar or tube stock is US origin. Steel is pretty variable. Last couple of weeks I had a bunch of 2-1/2 round 12L14 delivered made in France and 1" round 1215 made in Germany. Big 6" block aluminum plate cut outs originated in Russia. Also got a bunch of DOM steel from Russia just yesterday. Lots of 316 stainless smaller diameters rounds from Austria of all places (we do a lot of turning....:)

As for that book: I have a few and it makes for great 'reading room' material. I guess references like that are pretty good if you don't have access to internet. Not as if there is some hidden nugget of competitive advantage in it. Their website is ok too.

As a business they are great, but we are lucky that there are several distributors here, and all are honest and good. I buy material based on price and not on point of origin (cause me or my customers don't care) and none of the proper distributors have ever sold me anything I thought was inferior quality. EMJ on average has the best prices and the delivery is great too. I like that they have lots of processing services like cutting big shit, plate sawing, and plasma cutting etc...
 
I haven't even bothered with Jergenson in maybe 6 or 7 years..

If I didn't want a container load of steel, they didn't want to know who the fuck I was..

They can suck my balls.

If you start buying 200K+ a year of material and aren't in BFE you definitely get the Senator lounge service...

Until then it's McMaster (ouch) and the surplus yard for you sir... :) (double ouch)
 
If you start buying 200K+ a year of material and aren't in BFE you definitely get the Senator lounge service...

Until then it's McMaster (ouch) and the surplus yard for you sir... :) (double ouch)

I can't even use McMaster material anymore... Years ago they would put a stamp on the invoice that said
What you bought is what we said it is... And that don't work no more... Quite honestly I do every
damn thing I can to not buy the material.. The cert bullshit, the DFARs bullshit..

Get into some of those oddball specs, and you can blow the entire job just trying to find the correct material.

Had one recently. 7075-T76511... I got that!!!.. Quoted it with material... NOPE.. I had T73511 in stock...
Shit.. I wasted 10 hours of my life looking for 2 pounds of T76511... You can get it in thin wall extrusions,
but not bar stock.. Had the customer go back and dig.. I could use T651.. I had plenty of that in stock, DFARs
compliant and everything... What a pain in the ass.

$600 job and I wasted 10 hours trying to find the f'n material... 2 lbs of the F'n material..


I have no intention of ever having to buy $200k of material in a year, EVER.. Most of my customers
buy it, and the ones that have saws even cut it up for me..

I shouldn't say "ever".. things change and evolve and businesses can shoot off in directions they
were never intended to go, but as of now, nope, I'm not doing it. Actually, just today, I used
one of my saws (for something meaningful) for the first time in 4 months... Its been CASTING CASTING
CASTING CASTING CASTING CASTING CASTING CASTING CASTING CASTING CASTING since October (customer supplied
of course)... It was SO NICE actually sticking a piece of bar stock in a vise.... I almost cried.
 
I used to buy from EMJ. They always shipped domestic, always had what I wanted in stock. But over the last couple years, they've become high bidder, every time. And I mean like 50% high. If I order from Theisson, I get the same material, from the same mill and it's way cheaper.
 
On bigger orders I found out if I mention to the sales guy at emj that I might buy from their competition, he'll ask how much lower he has to go to get the order and he did match them on the last order of stainless. Kind nice, but also kinda sucks, why didn't I just get his best pricing up front. Anyway when I get bigger orders I shop around between EMJ, Liebovich (I know same parent company), ALRO, and one or two others. Little orders there is a place not far away that beats everyone else around.
 








 
Back
Top