Hairdressers, bakers and teachers don't work at the steelworks - but they could lose their jobs if it is closed.
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That's the message from Jason Leussink, a director at family company Leussink Engineering.
He said anyone in the Illawarra who felt they wouldn't be affected by the steelworks closing "has their blinkers on".
"One of the the largest employers in the Illawarra is BlueScope," Mr Leussink said.
"The guy who makes the bread down the road, he's not going to be making as much bread because those families will move outside the area to find work elsewhere.
"When families move, there's not the need for as many teachers in the area so they lose their jobs as well. The reason there are so many hairdressers is because we have the population that we do.
"Take that reliable source of work [BlueScope] out of the Illawarra and a good portion of our population disappears, and so does the hairdressers, the bakers and the engineering shops and the fabrication shops, I think it would affect everyone.
"The flow-on effect is endless throughout the Illawarra."
Mr Leussink's father set up the family business 39 years ago and he joined 27 years ago after finishing year 10.
Leussink Engineering is a "bespoke manufacturing facility" that makes tailor-made parts for BlueScope's Port Kembla steelworks, as well as plants in countries like Romania, Italy and Germany.
But Mr Leussink said BlueScope accounts for a big chunk of the company's business.
"Directly, a good 50 per cent," he said.
"Indirectly, probably way more. We do a lot of work for other subcontractors in the Illawarra and when we produce those parts they end up in BlueScope eventually. So we sell to another subcontractor who then sells to BlueScope".
The troubles at Port Kembla have already flowed onto Leussink Engineering and if it closed, things would need to change at the Unanderra business.
"Last year we've had to restructure as a result, which is something we've never had to do before," Mr Leussink said.
"[If BlueScope closed] ultimately we would have to rethink our business strategy again, which would mean downsizing."
