The Old Bethlehem Steel Home Plant. Bethlehem Steel Was The 2nd-largest Steel Maker In The US And Largest

The old Bethlehem Steel home plant. Bethlehem Steel was the 2nd-largest steel maker in the US and largest ship builder at its peak. They made a fortune during WWII, as did their rival, Pittsburgh-based US Steel, and then they blew that fortune on executive pay (the Beth Steel CEO was at one point the highest-paid American corporate exec.) and building a new headquarters (Martin Tower, the tallest building in the Lehigh Valley).

But then they started to fall behind; Europe, which had been destroyed in the war, got to rebuild their industry with the newest methods and technologies. And then China came on the scene with cheaper steel. By the turn of the century, Bethlehem Steel was toast. Today, part of the plant is preserved. A casino is the new primary draw of the site. US Steel survived, though maybe not for long as Japanese Nippon Steel is trying to buy them out.