NAICS 331222 Quarterly Industry Report
Steel Wire Drawing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 331222Sector: 33Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This industry profile for Steel Wire Drawing (NAICS 331222) draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[6], Bureau of Labor Statistics[11], and SBA size standards database[8]. Published by Fair Market Value and updated quarterly, it provides valuation professionals, metals industry analysts, and wire product investors with current market data. All quantitative claims are sourced to publicly verifiable databases.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the steel wire drawing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Steel Wire Drawing (NAICS 331222) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in drawing wire from purchased steel per the U.S. Census Bureau[5]. Activities include drawing purchased iron or steel rod, bar, or wire through dies to produce wire of various gauges and finishes, manufacturing barbed and twisted wire in wire drawing plants, producing galvanized wire, and making wire strand and cable from drawn wire.
Wire drawing mills reduce the cross-section of purchased steel rod by pulling it through progressively smaller carbide or diamond dies, producing wire ranging from heavy-gauge fencing and construction wire to fine-gauge wire for springs, fasteners, and industrial applications. Galvanizing operations coat drawn wire with zinc for corrosion protection in agricultural fencing, concrete reinforcement, and outdoor applications. Per Census Bureau[6] data, over 170 establishments employ roughly 14,400 workers generating more than $5.3 billion in annual revenue with payroll exceeding $728 million. Import competition from China, Canada, and South Korea affects domestic wire producers, with total U.S. wire imports exceeding $2.1 billion while exports reach roughly $455 million per International Trade Administration[7] trade data. Wire drawing operations require significant energy for drawing, annealing, and surface treatment processes.
Per the SBA Table of Size Standards[8], the size standard is 1,000 employees. The EPA[9] regulates wastewater from pickling and galvanizing operations and air emissions from annealing furnaces. OSHA[10] enforces safety standards for wire drawing equipment operation, material handling, and chemical exposure in surface treatment processes.
What's Included in This Industry
- Steel wire drawing through progressive dies
- Galvanized wire production and coating
- Barbed wire and twisted wire manufacturing
- Wire strand and cable production
- Fine-gauge industrial wire drawing
- Wire annealing and heat treatment
- Wire pickling and surface preparation
- Stainless steel wire drawing
- Spring wire and music wire production
- Welding wire manufacturing
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 331 |
| Industry Group | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 3312 |
| NAICS Industry | Rolling and Drawing of Purchased Steel | 33122 |
| National Industry | Steel Wire Drawing | 331222 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 331110 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing produces the steel rod that wire drawing mills purchase as primary raw material, with integrated steel mills sometimes operating captive wire drawing facilities within their own production complexes |
| 331221 | Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing | Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing processes purchased steel into plate, sheet, and bar products alongside wire drawers that share common upstream steel rod and billet suppliers across the steel products manufacturing sector |
| 332618 | Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing | Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing converts drawn wire into finished products including wire cloth, wire screens, and fabricated wire assemblies, representing a major downstream customer for wire drawing mill output |
| 332613 | Spring Manufacturing | Spring Manufacturing uses drawn wire as primary input material for coil springs, flat springs, and wire forms produced for automotive, industrial, and consumer product applications |
| 332722 | Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing | Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing consumes drawn wire for cold heading into fasteners, with wire gauge and metallurgical properties specified by fastener manufacturers for their forming operations |
| 332510 | Hardware Manufacturing | Hardware Manufacturing purchases drawn wire for production of nails, staples, and other wire hardware products, with nail mills representing a traditional downstream market for wire drawing plant output |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | 9.6% | 19 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 9.1% | 18 |
| 3 | California | 8.6% | 17 |
| 4 | Texas | 8.1% | 16 |
| 5 | Florida | 7.1% | 14 |
| 6 | Indiana | 6.6% | 13 |
| 7 | Missouri | 6.1% | 12 |
| 8 | Illinois | 5.6% | 11 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 5.1% | 10 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 4.6% | 9 |
% Of Establishments
0%
10%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
8
Total SBA Loans
$1.6M
Total Loan Volume
$200K
Average Loan Size
2 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.00%
Average Interest Rate
168
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: Per the SBA Table of Size Standards[8], Steel Wire Drawing (NAICS 331222) has a size standard of 1,000 employees for federal small business contracting purposes. SBA lending programs[12] support qualifying wire drawing operations including die equipment, annealing furnaces, galvanizing lines, and facility expansion investments. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[13] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[14] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Park State Bank | 8 | $1.6M | $200K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for wire drawing?
NAICS 331222 covers steel wire drawing operations that produce wire from purchased steel rod, bar, or wire through die drawing processes per the U.S. Census Bureau[5].
What is the SBA size standard?
Per the SBA size standard[8], the threshold is 1,000 employees for federal small business contracting eligibility and SBA lending products for steel wire drawing manufacturing operations.
How large is the wire drawing industry?
Per Census Bureau[6] data, over 170 establishments employ roughly 14,400 workers generating more than $5.3 billion in annual revenue across galvanized, barbed, industrial, and specialty wire product manufacturing.
What is the wire drawing process?
Wire drawing reduces steel rod cross-section by pulling it through progressively smaller carbide or diamond dies, producing wire in gauges from heavy fencing wire to fine spring wire per Bureau of Labor Statistics[11] industry classification.
What products are made from drawn wire?
Downstream products include fencing, nails, springs, fasteners, welding wire, wire rope, concrete reinforcement mesh, and industrial wire cloth per Census Bureau[6] product classification across construction, agricultural, and manufacturing end markets.
How does import competition affect the industry?
Per International Trade Administration[7] data, U.S. wire imports exceed $2.1 billion annually from sources including China, Canada, and South Korea, with trade remedy actions addressing unfair pricing that affects domestic producer market share.
What environmental regulations apply?
The EPA[9] regulates wastewater from acid pickling and zinc galvanizing operations, air emissions from annealing furnaces, and zinc-bearing solid waste management at wire drawing and coating facilities under federal environmental standards.
What safety standards apply?
OSHA[10] enforces workplace safety standards for wire drawing bull block and multi-die machine operation, chemical exposure during pickling and galvanizing processes, and material handling of heavy wire coils in production facilities.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]Census Bureau data.census.gov
- [7]International Trade Administration trade.gov
- [8]SBA Table of Size Standards sba.gov
- [9]EPA epa.gov
- [10]OSHA osha.gov
- [11]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [12]SBA lending programs sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
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