Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
There is no doubt that Krupp benefited from the high-quality Swedish iron ore they had access to. Not only did Krupp make extremely good steel, but they also made lots of it.
The U.S.A. had huge deposits of high-quality ore in Michigan and Minnesota that was close to the Great Lakes. That made shipping large amounts of ore economical. Coal and Coke from Pennsylvania and West Virginia was the other half of that perfect supply chain. The steel mills between those sources of raw materials, coupled with railroads and ships made U.S. steel production extremely cost effective and with huge volumes.
Krupp Steel in Germany had similar logistics. High quality iron ore plus nearby coal, rivers, sea ports and rail service.
The U.S.A. had huge deposits of high-quality ore in Michigan and Minnesota that was close to the Great Lakes. That made shipping large amounts of ore economical. Coal and Coke from Pennsylvania and West Virginia was the other half of that perfect supply chain. The steel mills between those sources of raw materials, coupled with railroads and ships made U.S. steel production extremely cost effective and with huge volumes.
Krupp Steel in Germany had similar logistics. High quality iron ore plus nearby coal, rivers, sea ports and rail service.