Service Centers

O’Neal Steel taps Jodi Parnell as top executive

Written by Laura Miller

December 5, 2024

Jodi Parnell has been named president and CEO of Birmingham, Ala.-based service center group O’Neal Steel.

Parnell has been with O’Neal for 25 years and has served as chief operating officer since 2022.

“Jodi’s leadership, strategic mindset, and dedication to O’Neal Steel’s values make her the ideal choice to lead us into our next chapter,” said Stephen Armstrong, executive vice president of O’Neal Industries. “We look forward to her continuing to strengthen and grow the nearly 104-year legacy of success that defines our organization.”

Parnell takes the reins from former leader Tate Forrester, who was named SVP and chief development officer of O’Neal Industries in September. He was president and CEO of O’Neal Steel for five years.

O’Neal Steel, which has been operating for over 100 years, is a part of O’Neal Industries (ONI), the largest family-owned group of metal service centers in the US. It operates 18 stocking locations across 15 states, mostly in the US Southeast and Midwest.

ONI is also headquartered in Birmingham. Other subsidiaries include Leeco Steel, TW Metals, United Performance Metals, O’Neal Manufacturing Services, G&L Tube, Stainless Tubular Products, Slice of Stainless, and Skilcraft.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. Since 2007, she has held various editorial and marketing positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills. In 2021, after a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel trade journalism, joining SMU in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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