American Metal Market (AMM) hosted a dinner on 19 June 2012 which presented the third annual Awards for Steel Excellence at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City. The ceremony took place on the second evening of the Steel Success Strategies Conference, which attracted over 1000 delegates.
The 2012 AMM Awards for Steel Excellence ceremony was comprised of ten different awards categories, and a total of 24 nominated companies competed for those top spots. The winners are elected through an esteemed panel of judges including: Thomas C. Graham, founding member of T.C. Graham Associates; Jo Isenberg-O'Loughlin, Executive Editor, American Metal Market; John E. Lichtenstein, Managing Director, Global Metals & APAC Natural Resources Industries, Accenture; and Nick Sowar, Partner and Global Steel Industry Leader, Deloitte & Touche LLP.
"The competition this year for the AMM Awards for Steel Excellence was at an all-time high. We had exceptionally innovative, knowledgeable, and downright ambitious companies. Our judging panel was certainly met with an immense challenge to choose the winners," said David Brooks, Senior Vice President and Publisher, American Metal Market.
Kicking off the ceremony was the award for the Best Innovation which was presented to China Beijing International Mining Exchange Company Ltd. (CBMX). CBMX helped launch the China Iron Ore Spot Trading Platform, which creates a direct channel for suppliers and consumers and provides fast and convenient services to participants.
With over 300 individuals in attendance, the AMM Awards for Steel Excellence ceremony continued by presenting the award for Best Merger and Acquisition to Carpenter Technology Corporation. In February 2012, Carpenter Technology completed an acquisition with Latrobe Specialty Metals in order to meet high customer demand. The transaction is expected to vastly improve the product mix that Carpenter offers.
In an effort to decrease waste associated with blast furnace gas usage, ArcelorMittal Indiana developed the Energy Recovery & Reuse (504 boiler) Project. This company has successfully showed its technical knowledge of the industry thus solidifying its win for the Best Operational Improvements Award.
ArcelorMittal also added the Best Greenfield/Brownfield Technology Project Award to its corporate notches. There were six nominated companies with frontrunner ArcelorMittal Dofasco taking the victory. ArcelorMittal Dofasco improved its operating costs and productivity through its Primary Optimization Program (POP). With its numerous advancements within the field, ArcelorMittal Dofasco is the first company in AMM Steel Awards history to receive this newly created award.
Next announced was the award for Environmental Responsibility/Stewardship. Olympic Steel, SIMS Metal Management, and Steel Market Development Institute were all contenders, but Steel Market Development Institute came out on top due to its Future Steel Vehicle (FSV) Project, which is currently helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Nine out of ten awards bestowed the night of the 19th were categorized as company awards except for the Industry Ambassador/Advocate of the Year Award, which was given to an individual. The award was presented to the president of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), Thomas A. Danjczek. As the backbone force for SMA, Danjczek focused on three principle activities to guide his company to success: developing and supporting consistent public policy positions, providing an exchange information forum, and serving as a source of information.
Industry progressives are a key link in the enhancement of the steel supply chain. Union Pacific Railroad has made many logistical improvements in recent years including the instatement of a web application that helps the company to select distribution locations best suited for new pipeline projects. And, although a close battle between Union Pacific and Olympic Steel, the winner of the Logistics/Transportation Provider Award was Union Pacific.
The eighth announced award winner was for the Scrap Company of the Year. There was much weight riding on this award, with a total number of four companies who competed. SIMS Metal Management received the award due to its outstanding customer service and continuous improvement initiatives.
The Service Center of the Year award was bestowed upon Olympic Steel. Installing one of the biggest tube lasers in North America, the Adige LT14, Olympic Steel has provided innovation for the industry through its automation.
The final award honored Commercial Metals Company (CMC), the Steel Provider of the Year. Known for its vertical integration model, CMC has revolutionized the way the steel industry operates today.