From crushed stone to timber, from natural gas to limestone, Pelham based manufacturers pay some of the lowest prices in the nation for materials used in the manufacturing process. Limestone, found in abundance in the Pelham area, is the product that fueled the area's early growth, and is still the area's number one export. Crushed stone, sand, and gravel are also found in abundance here. The nation's largest supplier of construction aggregates, Vulcan Materials Co., is located in the Pelham area. With more stone reserves than any other construction aggregate supplier in the United States, Vulcan's stores are sufficient to last for more than 55 years based on current production rates.
Sand is available in large quantities from several pits within an hour's drive of Pelham.
Birmingham, just north of Pelham, has been recognized for years as one of the nation's leading steel producers. A wide variety of steel products is available today to Pelham based manufacturers from local suppliers. At its facilities in Fairfield, located northwest of Pelham, U.S. Steel has the most modern seamless pipe mill in the nation, capable of producing nearly 600,000 tons of quality tubular products annually. The company also produces cold rolled sheet steel in coil form. Birmingham Steel supplies rebar for much of the south, and SMI Steel supplies angles, channels, beams, flats, and rounds to customers throughout the nation.