Final Thoughts

We had roughly 40 attendees converge on the DoubleTree by Hilton. Hailing from all over North America, Europe, and South America, the diverse group represented the breadth of the steel industry and beyond.

Some industry veterans were getting a refresher on different aspects of the market, while newbies in areas like sales and marketing wanted to familiarize themselves with all things steel.

Like our conferences, our workshops engage the supply chain from top to bottom. In Iowa, the course was no different. It included producers, service centers, and OEMs. Even state reps from the Minnesota House and State Senate were present and eager to learn.

In the classroom

As much as I’d like to say that it’s a great course with an overview of the steel industry and steelmaking, it’s really a two-day intensive and immersive workshop.

Those attending got a front-row seat to the entire life-cycle of steel: from raw materials like scrap and ore all the way to downstream applications like automotive — and everything in between. And it’s not hard to do when you have an amazing group of instructors, who together have over a century of experience in the steel industry – from sales and quality control to electrical and metallurgical engineering.

A special shout-out and huge thanks to our outstanding instructors: Roger Walburn, Chuck McDaniels, Mario Briccetti, and Chris Shipp. Acquainted with just about every facet of the industry, they possess a wealth of knowledge and a passion for sharing it.

Thank you for helping craft an immensely valuable and highly educational course.

From the basic differences between an electric-arc furnace (EAF) and a blast furnace (BF), different grades of steel, or the intricacies of steel pricing, the instructors covered it all. And, of course, there was always enough time to walk through questions and ensure the course was a dialogue.

Beyond the course, there were ample networking opportunities, including a happy hour and meals where attendees could mingle and get to know each other. Perhaps share a business card or LinkedIn invite. And maybe even have a little fun in the process.

At the mill

A major highlight and incredibly practical part of the course was our guided tour of SSAB Americas’ steel plate and coil mill in Montpelier, Iowa. They are North America’s largest heavy plate producer. A quick 20-minute bus ride, and we were there. After donning our PPE, listening to a safety talk, and eating a boxed lunch, we were ready to go.

SSAB metallurgists split us up into groups of 10 and took us on a three-hour guided tour through their Midwest EAF mill and 25,000-square-foot R&D Center. Workers explained to us the nature of their jobs as they took us upstairs, across hot rolling lines, and into pulpits. All the theoretical knowledge we learned in class turned real. Hands-on is an understatement!

We walked the hot strip mill — from molten steel through a continuous caster, descaling, reheat furnace and soaking pit, roughing mill, finishing mill, and finally to a cooling bed or even plate coil.

It’s one thing to see a PowerPoint slide, but another to be just feet away as an EAF gets charged in all its glory. Nothing quite prepares you for the sight and sound of tons of ferrous scrap metal being melted by a high-voltage electric arc.

A huge thank you to all the SSAB staff who made this awesome experience possible!

What’s next?

We typically hold a live Steel 101 three or four times a year. Our next one is set for January 2025 in Ontario, Calif.

We will converge on DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Ontario Airport, with the date set for Jan. 13-14, 2026. The workshop includes a guided mill tour of Nucor Steel CSI (California Steel Industries) in Fontana, Calif.

You can get more details here. And you can register here.

Space is limited, so don’t delay! I promise you, it is “worth its weight in steel.”

And, as always, from all of us at SMU, we thank you for your continued support.