Steel Summit: Schneider sees SDI 'on the edge of a very good run'

Schneider emphasized the importance of investing during downtimes, diversifying the company’s portfolio, committing to sustainability, and striking a balance between innovation and disciplined risk management.

“I remain real bullish that we’re on the edge of what could be a very good run. And I’m just excited with how our assets are positioned,” he said.  

Continuing, he noted the importance of making strong strategic moves during uncertain times.  

“Oftentimes, you know, I tell our teams, when you have a great market and capitalize on it, it is because you made really good decisions when it wasn’t great. And I think Steel Dynamics has been that player all the way back to when Covid hit in 2020,” he said.  

“You have to find the right connections with what you do best with what people need,” the COO stated.  

 SDI’s continuous efforts at improving its existing businesses, he said, are a winning strategy.

“What surprises me, and maybe some of you in the audience, is that low-carbon energy efficiency is real, despite it not making the headlines like it was in the last five years. It’s real to a lot of our customers,” he noted.  

The opportunity to provide steel made using an electric-arc furnace (EAF), Schneider explained, has been a catalyst for the company’s successful position in the market. 

“It’s opened doors for us, because we are incredibly positioned for a low-carbon product. We have a very efficient footprint, and the EAF and where we’re located allow us to be an industry leader,” he said.  

“More customers are asking us now, and we’re also seeing a lot more of what I would say is the trip to high quality,” he added. “When we first started, it’s not like we didn’t want to make good things, but as we’ve matured through painted products, through different coated products into automotive, appliance, HVAC – those markets are very demanding.” 

The core of what SDI offers has been paramount to its success during market downturns, according to Schneider. The Trump administration’s latest regulatory changes, including the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, have spurred the current market uncertainty. SDI is taking the changes in stride.  

“I think the uncertainty around our economy should be getting better,” Schneider commented. “We definitely have a landscape of tariffs. Investments focused on an effort to reshore and bring jobs back to America; that’s good for us. That’s good for everything about America, and I think it’s ultimately a good thing for North America.”

On the use of artificial intelligence in SDI’s operations, Schneider admitted that his engineering background continues to inform his perspective.

“I’m an engineer by training, so I like technology,” he said, but confessed he’s “an official skeptic and
cynic.”

“I don’t just believe the good side. I believe you’re creating opportunities for risk and exposure. So great things to come,” he remarked, “but what are we going to do with it?”