NEXT LEVEL STEEL

Brandon Bell is utilizing innovative castellated beams to take the steel industry to new heights

BY: EMILY DELANEY

As a second-generation steelworker with more than 20 years of industry experience, Brandon Bell never planned on returning back to steelwork during his non-compete. However, in less than two years, he started his own company, Next Level Steel and grew his company from six to nearly 100 employees. More importantly, Next Level Steel is revolutionizing the steel industry with the use of castellated steel beams.

With a steelyard in Mesa and a second state-of-the-art fabrication facility coming this fall, Bell and his proprietary line of castellated steel beams are reinventing the way warehouses, light industrial buildings — and now parking garages — are built here in Arizona.

AZRE: What inspired you to start your own company?

BRANDON BELL: I was 18 years old when I got into the steel business. During my non-compete, I thought I was not going to get back into the steel industry because I was burned out, so I dabbled around in construction and the general contracting area. What happened was, I walked into a steel shop that I was thinking about buying. I just smelled that smell and saw some of the familiar faces and I said, “This is what I’m meant to do and meant to be in.”

As soon as I started talking to certain customers and clients, they said, “Yes, we need you.” It was all negotiated work that was just handed to me for the first two years of having my business just because of past relationships. It fell into place because of those connections.

AZRE: How is Next Level Steel reinventing the way steel is used in Arizona?

BB: The big thing that is changing everything is my castellated beam. There is a big shortage of roof joists because of COVID-19 and the blowup of manufacturing facilities around the country. So, I developed a castellated beam with the help of PK Associates’ engineers and solved the shortage because it replaced the roof joist. Castellated beams were around in the ‘60s and then the roof joist came around and was the more efficient way to make a roof system at the time, because of the equipment and the manpower.

AZRE: What has inspired you to push for innovation in bringing a new type of steel to Arizona?

BB: Passion for the industry. That’s actually where the name Next Level Steel came from. I always wanted to push it to the next level, and I’ve always preached to all of my employees that we could be the best at anything, but there’s always somewhere else we can improve. I love to push myself and my employees to the next level. I have goals and ambitions to go further and

SOLID FOUNDATION: “When I started my company, there were eight employees,” says Brandon Bell, founder of Next Level Steel. “Now, we are closer to 100 employees.” (Photo provided by Next Level Steel) make whatever I am doing better. That is the biggest reason — trying to take it to the “next level.”

AZRE: As a company owner, what types of relationships do you foster with your employees to continue the success of your company?

BB: When I started my company, there were eight employees; now we are closer to 100 employees. It’s been easy to add employees just because of the reputation we have here. We ramped up so fast and it was very easy because every single day, I had past employees or just people in the industry wanting to come work here at Next Level Steel because they know how much I value my employees and how much I value just treating them correctly. We treat everybody like family, and they feel it.