Key Management Changes Continue to Ripple through U. S. Steel
07/09/2007 - United States Steel announces key management changes at Gary Works, Mon Valley Works, and its ProCoil Co. steel processing subsidiary in Canton, Mich.
United States Steel Corp. announced key management changes at Gary Works, Mon Valley Works, and ProCoil Co.
The company named Garry E. Human Plant Manager of Mon Valley Works' Edgar Thomson Plant, named Ladislav Halaj as Plant Manager—Finishing at Gary Works, and advanced David L. Armstrong to President of ProCoil Co. LLC. All appointments were effective July 1.
In his new position as Plant Manager of the Edgar Thomson Plant, Human will be responsible for day-to-day operations of Mon Valley Works' primary operation in Braddock, Pa. He will report to Anton Lukac, General Manager of Mon Valley Works. Prior to being named to his new position, Human served as President of ProCoil Co. in Canton, Mich. He succeeds Dennis Quirk, who was recently named Plant Manager for East Texas Tubular Operations, a welded tubular facility in Lone Star, Texas. Operating two blast furnaces, two steelmaking vessels and a continuous slab caster, the Edgar Thomson Plant has an annual raw steel capability of 2.9 million net tons.
Human, 50, began his career with U. S. Steel in 1988, in steel producing in the Number One Basic Oxygen Process (BOP) Shop at Gary Works, where he became Area Manager in 1995. In 1996, Human became Area Manager—Hot Roll Finishing, a position he held until becoming Area Manager—Continuous Pickle Line in 1998. He was named Division Manager—Sheet Products at U. S. Steel's Gary Works in 1999, and Division Manager—Tin Operations in 2003. In 2004, Human was appointed to his most recent position as President of ProCoil.
A 1980 graduate of Illinois State University, Human has a bachelor's degree in Industrial Technology.
In his new position as Plant Manager—Finishing at Gary Works, Halaj will oversee the hot rolling, cold rolling and coating operations as well as all associated processes at U. S. Steel's largest integrated steelmaking facility, which has an annual raw steel capability of 7.5 million net tons. He reports to Mike Williams, General Manager of Gary Works. Halaj replaces William J. Kelly, who has retired.
Halaj, 46, a native of Kosice, Slovakia, began his steelmaking career in 1987 as a hydraulic system specialist in the cold mills and pickling lines at VSZ as. In 1992, he left VSZ to work for other steel companies including Sidor in Venezuela. In 1998, Halaj was appointed Manager—Mechanical Maintenance for VSZ U. S. Steel, as, a joint venture of U. S. Steel and VSZ, and was later named Deputy Operations Director (1999). He was advanced to General Manager—Central Maintenance U. S. Steel Kosice (2000, the year U. S. Steel acquired the steelmaking operations of VSZ). Halaj was appointed General Manager—Finishing (2003), and later moved to the
United States when he was named Division Manager—Sheet Products at U. S. Steel's Midwest Plant in Portage, Ind. He was advanced to Division Manager—Sheet Products at Gary Works (2006), a position he held until being appointed to his current position.
Halaj is a 1986 graduate of the Mechanical Faculty of the Technical University of Kosice.
ProCoil Co. LLC, which Armstrong will lead as president, is a wholly owned steel processing subsidiary of U. S. Steel located in Canton, Mich. ProCoil slits, cuts to length and blanks steel coils to automakers' specifications. The company also provides laser welding services and warehouse services to its automotive customers. Armstrong, who was most recently Division Manager—Tin Operations at Gary Works, succeeds Human.
A native of Fairless Hills, Pa., where his father worked for U. S. Steel, Armstrong, 53, began his career in the steel industry in 1972 as an hourly employee at National Steel's Midwest Plant. He moved into management in 1982, held a series of increasingly responsible positions, and was named Area Manager—Operations in 1990. In 1996, Armstrong was appointed Division Manager—Operations, holding various positions in both the sheet and tin divisions. When U. S. Steel acquired the Midwest Plant along with other National Steel operations in 2003,
Armstrong was advanced to Division Manager—Midwest Tin. He was appointed to his most recent position, Division Manager of Gary and East Chicago Tin, in 2004.
