Gerdau Ameristeel

Micah joined the Gerdau Ameristeel Management Associate Program upon graduation from Southern Polytechnic University in May 2007. With an electrical engineering degree in hand, Hastings was a perfect fit for the Cartersville MAP position.

Micah began in the Melt Shop and then spent five months in the management systems area working on GAP calculations, measuring the mills performance against global benchmarks, and doing some software programming. He even extended his rotation in the Management Systems Group in order to complete a program for the Electrical Arc Furnace (EAF).

“Through the MA program, I’ve gotten to meet and work with a lot of different people,” he said. “You do your best everyday and hope to impress people in different departments. In the end, hopefully people will want to bring you into their department.”

“I’ve had really good mentors and teachers here. Everyone is willing to share information, which makes things much easier. It’s a very relaxed environment, which helps people get more work done. There are a lot of talented people and everyone helps each other. If I can’t figure something out on a project, there are always other people to help.”

Adrienne joined Gerdau Ameristeel in November 2007 as the second recycling MAP and has already spent time at several of Gerdau Ameristeel’s recycling facilities throughout Ontario, including Cambridge, Cornwall, London, Oshawa, Toronto and Whitby, as well as Buffalo, NY.

Adrienne graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a bachelor’s degree in business management organization, specializing in human resources.

“The MA program has given me the opportunity to see a lot of facets within Gerdau Ameristeel, while traveling to different locations and meeting new people. The program gets you involved in the inner-workings of the company. I have learned a lot and can’t wait to see what is to come in the next year or so.”

“I never thought the market study skills I learned in school would come back to haunt me,” jokes Adrienne, who explained her most recent project, a market study analysis of the mills’ regional competition. “It was actually a very interesting project, and I was able to visit our two new mills in Michigan.”

Hasan, who recently joined the Association of Women in the Metal Industry (AWMI), says she enjoys each day. “I’m impressed with a company that is willing to invest two years of training in a person. That really reflects well on the values of Gerdau Ameristeel.”

Nick Belis grew up in Parker, Colo., and entered the Colorado School of Mines to pursue a metallurgical and material engineering degree, which he earned in 2007.

Moving to Jacksonville, Fla., wasn't part of his plans, but in the final months of pursuing his engineering degree, he attended a school job fair to see what positions were available and just happened to check out Gerdau Ameristeel. The next thing he knew, he was packing for Florida. "This was the best program for the future," he said.

The first year of his MA experience, Belis learned different jobs in the melt shop. Now he's working in the rolling mill. "It has given me great exposure to steelmaking as a whole," he said of the MA program. "School gave me the finer points, but it's very different between what they teach you in school and how it really works."

Nick said one of his most interesting experiences has been the few months he filled in as a supervisor. “I definitely learned that, just because you are in charge, you can't (go in and say) 'this is the way,'" he said. "I was working with people who had been in the industry 30 years. You had to depend on their input."