Olympic Plans Center in South Carolina
Olympic Steel Inc., Cleveland, plans to construct a new service center in Sumter, S.C. The $10 million, 100,000-square-foot facility will be completed by year-end.
“Complementing the 2006 acquisition of our North Carolina operations, we are excited to further expand our processing capabilities in the southeast region for our valued customers,” says Michael D. Siegal, chairman and CEO. “The Sumter location was particularly attractive to us because of its excellent proximity to original equipment manufacturers and the availability of a skilled labor force.”
Loeffel Promotes ‘Scrap a Coil for Epilepsy’
Loeffel Steel Products, Barrington, Ill., is promoting Scrap a Coil for Epilepsy this spring to raise money for pediatric epilepsy research.
Seeking help from suppliers, customers, metals processors, coil coaters, fabricators, scrap companies and service centers, Loeffel is asking for pledges ranging from one coil of steel, a hopper of scrap metal, or a week or a month of produced scrap. Donations are tax deductible.
“Donations can be made throughout the year. It’s really open-ended, but the big push will basically be in May and June,” says Tim Loeffel, vice president and director of purchasing.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign will benefit CURE, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. The pledge program is held in conjunction with the Loeffel Epilepsy Foundation’s 20th annual charity golf outing on June 19 in Lake Geneva, Wis.
Donors can either write a check for the amount pledged, payable to Loeffel Epilepsy Foundation, P.O. Box 2100, Barrington, Ill., 60011, or Loeffel will invoice donor’s pledges.
For more information about the scrap fundraiser or golf outing, contact Tim Loeffel or Mike Smyk at 847-382-6770.
Heidtman Steel Closing Crawfordsville Facility
Heidtman Steel will close its Crawfordsville, Ind., processing facility this summer. The 230,000-square-foot facility, opened in 1994, currently houses pickling, slitting and leveling operations.
“This closing is part of an on-going strategic asset evaluation process to right-size the company and improve productivity,” says Tim Berra, president of Heidtman Steel. “We are continually monitoring our asset distribution in light of economic and market conditions to remain competitive and better match our geographic processing to our customers’ needs.”
Upon closing, existing sales to Crawfordsville customers will be handled by the company’s other Midwest facilities, Berra says. “The impact to our steel sales customers will be completely transparent.”
Centric, ArcelorMittal Forge Partnership
Centric Alloys Corp., Doylestown, Pa., and ArcelorMittal-Stainless and Nickel Alloys, a division of ArcelorMittal, have created a new partnership. Centric Alloys will be the U.S. sales and distribution channel for nickel alloy bar and wire rod products supplied to North America.
Under the agreement, Centric Alloys will provide a full complement of sales, multi-location distribution, technical assistance and other services to distinguished customers in the North American market.
“Their core management group brings forth the depth, experience and vision we’re looking for to ensure that the ArcelorMittal product is positioned as the leading brand in nickel alloy long products,” says Guy Virrion, vice president, sales and marketing, for ArcelorMittal-Stainless and Nickel Alloys.
In other action, ArcelorMittal has acquired a 50 percent share of Gonvarri Brasil, a steel service center joint venture in Brazil. With the acquisition, ArcelorMittal intends to build a strong presence in the Brazilian flat-steel downstream segment.
Reliance Acquires Dynamic Metals
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, has acquired Dynamic Metals International LLC, Bristol, Conn., a specialty metal distributor founded in 1999. Dynamic, which had approximately $11 million in revenue in 2007, is the latest in an ongoing string of acquisitions by Reliance.
Dynamic Metals will operate as a subsidiary of Service Steel Aerospace Corp., headquartered in Tacoma, Wash.
“This strategic acquisition expands our existing Service Steel Aerospace specialty product offerings,” said David H. Hannah, Reliance chairman and CEO.
OBITUARIES
Lawrence J. “Bo” Burr
Atlas Steel Products President and CEO Lawrence J. “Bo” Burr died April 28 at his home following a seven-month battle with cancer. He was 63.
Mr. Burr acquired Atlas Steel Products in 1983 after joining the aluminized steel service center in a sales capacity in 1976. He guided Atlas into the stainless business in the 1990s, directed the company’s installation of a tube mill and numerous other capacity enhancements, and established the company as a leading supplier of metals for applications requiring heat- and corrosion-resistance.
He was known within his company and among Atlas’ customers and suppliers as a “can-do” leader who empowered associates and supported their efforts. He was a firm believer in the Golden Rule, applying it uniformly with customers, suppliers, the community and within the Atlas team. Under his leadership, sales improved from $9 million in 1983 to more than $100 million currently.
In recent years, he began to prepare for the eventuality of a management transition, seeing to the growth of talented associates and recruiting experienced professionals. The Atlas Steel Products board of directors and management are working on an ESOP transaction to ensure the company will move forward with the same customer service culture that Mr. Burr established.
“Bo always had a plan,” said Joanne Meredith, vice president of administration. “He was devoted to Atlas, the business, the customers and suppliers, and of course his family and our associates. While we can say Atlas will carry on with business as usual—and Bo certainly would want it that way—it obviously is with very heavy hearts that we do so.”
Mr. Burr was active in the steel service center industry. He was a member of the Metals Service Center Institute and was past chairman of the Specialty Steel Council, past president of the Northeast Ohio Chapter, and past member of the Governmental Affairs Committee and National Board of Directors. He was a member of the Precision Metalforming Association, ASM International, FMA International, WINOC, Japan American Society of Pittsburgh and the Leadership Cleveland Class of 1988. He was also an active member of his church and numerous civic and charitable organizations in his community.
Mr. Burr was a graduate of Rutgers University and went on to earn his MBA from American Graduate School of International Management, Glendale, Ariz. He also earned a Graduate Studies Diploma from Stockholm University in Sweden.
He served as a U.S. Air Force pilot and saw combat service in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. He was awarded five Air Medals for Special Operations support of the U.S. Army Special Forces, and served in the Southern Command from 1969 to 1972, earning the Air Force Commendation Medal for Humanitarian Relief for service following the Peruvian earthquake in 1970.
Prior to joining Atlas Steel Products in 1976, Mr. Burr was a reporter for the Arizona Republic newspaper in Phoenix. He continued writing throughout his career and was published in numerous periodicals.
He is survived by his wife Anne, son Scott and daughter Corinne.
John H. McConnell
John H. McConnell, founder of Worthington Industries, died April 25 at age 84.
McConnell, served aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II before enrolling at Michigan State University, where he studied business and played football. He began working for Weirton Steel Corp., where he found his niche in the custom steel processing services. In 1955, he launched Worthington Industries as a steel processing company.
Worthington Industries has grown into a public company with 69 facilities in 11 countries, 8,000 employees and $3 billion in annual sales. Mr. McConnell served as chairman until 1996 and retired from the board in 2002. His business leadership style, which has been included in the business curriculum at Harvard University, continues to drive the company’s culture. He was named Chief Executive Officer of the Year by Financial World magazine and Industry Week magazine recognized him for Excellence in Management, among other honors.
Mr. McConnell became widely recognized as one of Columbus’ most generous citizens, including a $15 million contribution to the McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Hospital. In 1997, he led a group of investors to bring the National Hockey League to Columbus, serving as owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets until his death.
He is survived by one son, John P. McConnell, one daughter, Margaret, and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy (Rardin) McConnell.
Ronald F. Cincinnati
Ronald F. Cincinnati, 67, founder of Cincinnati Tool Steel and a leader in the tool steel industry for more than three decades, died April 18 at his home in Loves Park, Ill.
Mr. Cincinnati began his career at Jessop Steel in the mailroom and worked his way up to inside sales in the tool steel division. He eventually was promoted to outside sales in the Chicago and Midwest regions, and in 1971 he moved to Rockford, Ill.. He left Jessop to head up the tool steel product line as vice president of sales for J. Rubin and Co. In 1976, he founded Cincinnati Tool Steel in Rockford, which became one of the leading distributors of tool steel in the United States.
He is survived by four children who are active in the business, including the company’s President and CEO Brian Cincinnati, sons Ronald J. and Scot, and daughter Kelli, who are determined to maintain their father’s vision, philosophy and directives for the company. Kenneth E. Klehr will continue in his role as executive vice president of sales at Cincinnati Tool Steel.
People
McNichols Co., Tampa, Fla., has appointed new operations managers at its Los Angeles service center and founding facility in Cleveland. Steve Snodgrass has been appointed operations manager at Los Angeles, while Len Marsden will take over in Cleveland.
Bobby Jackson has been appointed general manager of the Tampa District for O’Neal Steel Inc. Jackson has worked in the metals industry for 12 years at various O’Neal locations.
Southern Aluminum Finishing Co., Atlanta, has promoted Howard Mount to production manager responsible for all SAF Metal Fabrication fabricating operations. Mount has been with the company three years.
Tim Atchison, Leslie Piotrowski and Beth Wickett were honored with service awards from Almetals Inc., Wixom, Mich. Atchison has been with the company 20 years and Piotrowski and Wickett have been with Almetals for 10 years.
Ronald Carlucci has been promoted to controller at Marmon/Keystone Canada Inc. Carlucci had been serving as the company’s manager of financial reporting since 2006.
Briefs
Plus Ten Stainless Inc., a West Coast stainless steel plate distributor, has been sold to a private firm headed by Todd W. Rhodes and Mark Jurich. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Rhodes has extensive experience in the metals industry, working with Lusk Metals, Reynolds Aluminum Supply and Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Before acquiring Plus Ten, he was the proprietor of RSM. “Our hope is that this acquisition will allow Plus Ten to expand its geographical reach into different markets across the country and grow its current product line,” Rhodes says.
Red Bud Industries will host a coil-processing seminar June 24 at the Wingate by Windham & Meridian Conference Center in West Chester, Ohio. Attendees will learn about blanking, multi-blanking, leveling, slitting and new processes such as SCS and EPS for hot-rolled black material. Featured speakers include Dean Linders of Red Bud, Eric Theis, formerly of Herr-Voss and now a consultant to the metals processing industry, Al Zelt, a leading expert in slitting technology, and Kevin Voges, president of The Material Works and inventor of the SCS and EPS processes. The seminar will conclude with a tour at United Performance Metals in Hamilton, Ohio. For more information, contact Red Bud at 800-851-4612.
Primrose Alloys, Burlingame, Calif., has selected Bayern’s STEEL PLUS software to run all aspects of its metal business.
Ideal Roofing Co., Ottawa, Ont., has installed a new multi-cut blanking line from Red Bud Industries, Red Bud, Ill.
Outokumpu will acquire the SoGePar Group, an Italian distributor of stainless steel, from the Borromeo family. The company, which has locations in Italy and the UK, had deliveries of 134,000 tons in 2007.
Titanium Industries Inc., Rockaway, N.J., has entered a five-year agreement to coordinate the supply of titanium products for Bombardier Aerospace and its fabricated metal parts suppliers.
Main Steel Polishing Co. has installed a new Herr-Voss Stamco slitter, complete with a strand extensioner and packaging line, at its Wheeling Ill., facility. The new slitter will have the ability to process coils up to a quarter-inch thick and 62-inches wide with a maximum weight of 60,000 pounds.
Advanced Gauging Technologies LLC, Plain City, Ohio, has commissioned several AGT400 Thickness Gauges and SPC reporting systems. At Magic Steel Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., a Gamma gauge was upgraded to an AGT400, the third at that facility. Feralloy Corp., Huger S.C., also purchased an AGT400 upgrade for an older Gamma gauge. Steel Technologies de Mexico purchased a new AGT400 for its 72-inch Red Bud slitter.
