Founders Circle

James R. Boughton
SES, LLC

Founded in 1976, SES is a leading supplier of equipment and services for the metals, metals-forming and related industries. SES provides quality, robust, cost-effective designs utilizing the innovative talents of its staff of more than 125, including those employed at two manufacturing facilities in Alliance, Ohio. SES has the ability to handle projects ranging from small specialty items to major capital expansions, as well as redesign and rebuild of existing equipment. SES's capabilities include transfer cars, transporters and all associated meltshop equipment, slab handling equipment, long product handling and processing equipment, strip processing equipment, coil handling equipment, as well as a wide range of custom-designed equipment specifically suited to the specific needs of SES's customers.

Charles Connors, Sr.
Magneco/Metrel Inc.

Magenco/Metral Inc. company was founded in 1981 by a merger of two small companies, Magneco and Metrel. Magneco/Metrel produces colloidal silica bonded refractories. Approximately 80% of Magneco/Metrel's sales are to the iron and steel manufacturing industries with the balance to foundries, glass, chemical and ceramic industries. Magneco/Metrel's work is different from that of our competitors in that we place a great emphasis on engineering, research, selling and services. With an in house field technical support group, Magneco/Metrel provides product and technical services worldwide.

Kevin Fenton
GrafTech International

GrafTech International is a global company headquartered in Parma, Ohio.  We operate 16 manufacturing facilities on four continents and employ approximately 3,000 people.  

With 125 years’ experience in the graphite industry, GrafTech offers innovative solutions to the most challenging applications for customers in over 65 countries that represent a wide range of industries and end markets, including steel manufacturing, latest-generation electronics, oil and gas exploration, transportation and solar energy.

We are the world’s largest graphite electrode manufacturer, offering clients the broadest product selection in the industry. Through our Advantage Programs, featuring UCAR® graphite electrodes, the largest service team in our industry and the ArchiTechTM furnace productivity system, clients are translating and simplifying complex data into bottom line results, surfacing hidden problems and opportunities, and streamlining production flow like never before.

GrafTech is also a leading global supplier of carbon, semigraphite and graphite refractory hearth linings for blast and submerged arc furnaces used to produce iron and ferroalloys.  Learn more about us at www.graftech.com.

Steve Harker
President of Kvaerner North American Construction (formerly Aker Construction)

Steve is president of Kvaerner North American Construction, Inc. (Kvaerner NAC) which is the union construction arm of Kvaerner ASA, an independent, international engineering, procurement, and construction company.  Kvaerner NAC provides full service general contracting, maintenance and renovation services to the power, steel, chemical, petro-chemical, and other industrial sectors throughout North America.  Mr. Harker began his career with the company in 1979 before assuming the role as president in 2006.  

Kvaerner North American Construction Inc. and Kvaerner North American Construction Ltd. are direct hire union construction companies employing about 250 full-time employees in addition to about 1,500 union craftsmen annually.  Kvaerner North American Construction Inc. is headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, with an additional office in Hammond, Indiana.  Kvaerner North American Construction Ltd. is headquartered in Canada in Burlington, Ontario
 

George Koenig
Berry Metals Company

George J. Koenig is a 30-year veteran in the steel industry who is currently president of Berry Metal Co. Koenig joined Berry Metal in 2000 as vice president of sales and marketing. Under his direction, Berry Metal advanced from the world’s leading technology-based designer and manufacturer of injection lances for the steelmaking industry to a global industry leader in promoting advanced steelmaking technologies — primarily through the institution and expansion of strategic partnerships with other innovative companies serving the steel industry.

Prior to his success with Berry Metal, Koenig worked for 25 years in marketing and sales with Philadelphia-based steel industry supplier Hereaus Electro-Nite. The Philadelphia native earned a B.S. degree in business management and marketing from Drexel University in 1976 and an associate’s degree in metallurgy from the Pennsylvania State University in 1979.

Robert Kuball
Director of Sales and Marketing, Heraeus Electro-Nite Co. LLC

Bob Kuball has been with Heraeus Electro-Nite for 49 years.  During Bob’s career, he has held numerous positions; Customer Services Manager, Plant Manager, and Sales Manager, to name a few.  During Bob’s tenure, HEN has grown into the World Leader of Molten Metal Sensors supplying the Steel and Iron industries.

William Rackoff

President and CEO of ASKO, Inc.

ASKO manufactures a wide range of specialty wear-resistant tooling for the metal producing, metal processing and metal recycling industries including shear knives, circular knives and slitter tooling, saw blades, rolling mill components, and tungsten carbide wear parts.  ASKO, an international company with locations in the US, the Netherlands and a joint-venture in Mexico, is headquartered and was founded in 1933 in Homestead, Pennsylvania.  

Bill joined SinterMet, Inc., a former subsidiary of ASKO, in 1974 as Vice President and was named President of SinterMet in 1976.  He was appointed President and CEO of ASKO in 1994.

Bill graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy and Material Science and a BA in History, and graduated with a Master of Business Administration Degree from Harvard Business School in 1974.  He also studied tungsten carbide technology with Professor Richard Kieffer, a leading figure in the field of cemented carbide development at Technische Hochschule in Vienna, Austria.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the LB Foster Company (NASDQ) and currently serves as its Compensation Committee Chairman.  He has served on various other corporate and non-profit boards throughout his career and is a member of a number of professional organizations relating to the steel industry.  Bill has authored articles and technical papers including chapter 16, “Tungsten Carbide Rolls” in the book Rolls for the Metalworking Industries.

Michael Romano
NALCO Company

Nalco Company is the world's leading sustainability services company focused on industrial water, energy and air applications; delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of steelmaking operations at North American integrated and mini-mill manufacturing sites with the capacity to produce more than 60 million tons of hot and cold rolled steel. In 2010, Nalco achieved sales of $4.25 billion.

Joe Turner
Senior Advisor, Shaw Plant Services

Joe Turner was elected president of Primary Energy after years of work with NiSource in a variety officer positions, including managing director of The Industrial Energy Alliance between Primary Energy and Duke Energy North America. He also served as vice president and general manager for Hydril Company and Fluor Corporation, president for Marmon Keystone Corporation and general manager for U.S. Steel, where he had a 20 year career.

In addition to being senior advisor for Shaw, he also serves in a similar position with SunCoke Energy and Primary Energy.

Joe holds a bachelors degree from Williams College. He is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He currently works in Oakbrook Terrace, III.

Richard Wilson
North American Refractories Company (Narco) 

North American Refractories Company (Narco) is the largest domestic full line manufacturer of Refractories servicing the Iron & Steel Industries.  With over 11 plants, 23 distributions centers plus a WorldClassTechnologyCenter, Narco provides innovative engineered refractory solutions to solve the most rigorous of material applications to safely improve performance and reduce cost on a consistent basis.  Installation services are also offered by Narco in this growing application to better service the customer base with Bricklaying, Gunnite, and placement of all unshaped monolithic products.