Gerdau Ameristeel Corp. recently announced the appointment of Matthew Yeatman as Vice President—Raw Materials.

In his new position, Mr. Yeatman will be responsible for all raw materials purchasing, including iron and steel scrap. He is also responsible for the company’s recycling division, which includes seven scrap yards in Ontario.

Commenting on this appointment, Chief Operating Officer André Johannpeter said, “Scrap is Gerdau Ameristeel’s largest single expenditure. Mr. Yeatman’s extensive experience in our recycling operations and in-depth knowledge of the market will help Gerdau Ameristeel manage our costs and meet customer demands.”

Mr. Yeatman has 19 years of experience as part of Gerdau Ameristeel and its predecessor companies. His most recent position with the company was Vice President and General Manager of Recycling Operations. Under Mr. Yeatman’s leadership, Gerdau Ameristeel’s recycling division has been profitable since it was transitioned to an operational unit in 1994.

Gerdau Ameristeel is the second-largest minimill steel producer in North America with annual manufacturing capacity of over 6.8 million tons of mill-finished steel products. Through its vertically integrated network of 11 minimills (including one 50%-owned minimill), 13 scrap recycling facilities, and 32 downstream operations, Gerdau Ameristeel primarily serves customers in the eastern half of North America. The company’s products are generally sold to steel service centers, to fabricators, or directly to original equipment manufacturers for use in a variety of industries, including construction, automotive, mining, and equipment manufacturing.