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steelmaking capability. At the same time, Mike views aerospace and defense as one element of a balanced business. Automotive, industrial, and energy customers remain central to the company’ s performance, and growth plans are designed to diversify rather than concentrate exposure.
For Mike, diversification starts with the customer. As applications become more demanding, Metallus is developing products designed to address a wider range of performance requirements.
Metallus recently rolled out vacuum arc remelt( VAR) and vacuum induction melt( VIM) products for demanding applications.“ We added VAR and VIM last year. These specialty steels stand up to tough temperatures, corrosion, and strength requirements. As we grow in these markets, more customers choose us, and we’ ve landed several new programs and contracts. It’ s about balancing our portfolio and moving into more specialty areas,” he adds. These
developments show new opportunities emerging in the market.
Leading into the future
Mike’ s academic background is uncommon within the industry. He earned a degree in information science with a focus on software engineering from the University of Pittsburgh; an education that continues to influence his approach to manufacturing.
While metallurgy remains at the heart of Metallus’ business, technology increasingly shapes how products are made, monitored, and delivered. That influence is evident in ongoing operational investments across the business.
Metallus continues to fund initiatives from its own budget.“ We recently installed an automated grinding line with our own resources. We’ ve made targeted investments for efficiency improvements in quality, manpower, yield, and material recovery from start to finish,” he reports.
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