In October 1989 Sumitomo Corporation and Yamato Kogyo Company, Ltd., Japan joined to purchase the assets of a small steel mill located in Newport, Arkansas.  That mill which produced specialty products for the railroad industry came to be known as Arkansas Steel Associates, LLC (ASA).

ASA has since become a dominant factor in the United States and Canadian markets and has made a significant impact in Mexico.  With the development of particular tie plates for use with elastic fastenings, ASA is making a strong presence in Sudan, Malaysia, the Middle East, Europe, South America and other worldwide markets.

Combining state-of-the-art equipment and technology with a dedicated and innovative workforce, ASA continues researching product diversification by manufacturing a wide variety of tie plate sections, grader blades, wide flats and semi-finished products to meet the growing needs of the railroad industry.  Our research and engineering departments can develop custom tie plates and products according to individual customer specifications.