Gerdau

Gerdau would like to nail down South America's steel industry. The company began making nails in 1901; now it's Brazil's largest producer of long-rolled steel. Part of the Gerdau Group and controlled by Metalúrgica Gerdau (which is controlled by the founding Gerdau Johannpeter family), Gerdau is also a leader in the manufacture of laminated steel products. The company produces around 20 million tons of long steel annually (with the capacity to produce 25 million) and sells its products, which include bars, billets, and wire rods, to customers such as auto parts makers, construction contractors, and agricultural companies. Gerdau has operations in 14 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.