Personnel Notes

Nucor announces changes to board

Minimill steelmaker Nucor Corp., Charlotte, North Carolina, has announced that its board of directors elected Leon J. Topalian as a director and John H. Walker to serve as nonexecutive chairman of the board, effective Jan. 1. Topalian is the president and chief operating officer of Nucor and became the chief executive officer of the company Jan. 1. Walker, who has more than 35 years of experience in metal-related manufacturing and fabricating industries, has served as a member of Nucor’s board of directors since 2008 and as lead director since 2017.

Topalian served as an executive vice president of Nucor from 2017 to 2019 and as a vice president of Nucor from 2013 to 2017. He has been employed by Nucor in various capacities since 1996, including serving as general manager at Nucor’s facilities in Arkansas and Illinois, as well as a melting and casting manager, an operations manager, a cold mill production supervisor and a project engineer.

Walker served as nonexecutive chairman of Global Brass and Copper Holdings Inc., which is based in Schaumburg, Illinois, from 2014 to 2019, before the company was acquired by Germany-based Wieland Group. He also was executive chairman of Global Brass and Copper from 2013 to 2014 and CEO of Global Brass and Copper from 2007 to 2014. Prior to joining Global Brass and Copper, Walker was president and CEO of The Boler Co.; CEO, president and chief operating officer of Weirton Steel Corp.; and president of flat-rolled products for Kaiser Aluminum Corp. He also is a director of Owens-Illinois Inc.

“Leon and John have made outstanding contributions over their many years of service to Nucor,” says John J. Ferriola, chairman and chief executive officer of Nucor. “This is the culmination of many years of thoughtful succession planning, and I have full confidence in their leadership.”

Danco Enterprises names executive vice president

Danco Enterprises Inc., based in Riverside, California, has appointed Joshua Lohman as its executive vice president.

“Having known and worked with Josh for decades, we’re thrilled to have him join the Danco team,” says Daniel Gao, president and founder of Danco. “Josh brings a wide range of operational, purchasing and trading experience to Danco. His knowledge will help us to realize our objectives as we continue to strategically grow our business through the Danco facilities, our affiliate facilities and our operations in Malaysia and China.”

In his new position, Lohman’s primary focus is on maximizing overall operating performance while ensuring that each financial goal is met. He has nearly 30 years of metal trading experience. Prior to this position, he worked for 20 years at Alpert & Alpert Iron & Metal Inc., which is based in Los Angeles.

“I am incredibly proud of the time I spent with [Alpert & Alpert], but when the opportunity presented itself with Daniel, it was too great to pass up,” Lohman says. “Daniel and I have been business associates for more than 20 years and have grown to be good friends. He has done a fantastic job building an operationally efficient and financially sound company.”

Danco Enterprises, along with its affiliated company Sun-Lite Metals, offers a comprehensive range of ferrous and nonferrous scrap processing.

Braidy Industries appoints chief operating officer

Braidy Industries Inc., Ashland, Kentucky, has named Mike Otero its chief operating officer (COO). He officially joined the company Jan. 6 and has the added designation of heading Braidy Industries’ Ashland headquarters facility. He reports directly to Craig Bouchard, CEO and chairman of Braidy Industries.

Otero previously served as CEO of Oman Aluminium Rolling Mill Co. LLC (OARC), a $500 million greenfield aluminum rolling mill and paint line facility that was established in 2011 in Sohar, Oman. During his time with OARC, the company became EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and cash flow positive and strategically positioned itself as the world’s largest offshore supplier of aluminum flat-rolled products (common alloy and foil) to the United States, Braidy says in a news release announcing his appointment. Prior to working at OARC, Otero served as commercial and supply chain manager for Sohar Aluminum, a $2.7 billion greenfield construction smelter and power plant project.

Previously, Otero also held positions at Rio Tinto Aluminum, Edward D. Jones & Co. LLP and Crown Crafts and served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1989-1997 as a logistics specialist.

“Mike’s extensive executive experience in the aluminum industry will be of unique advantage to Braidy Industries as we move forward with the construction of our world-class aluminum rolling mill,” says Bouchard. “His track record in operations and finance and experience building a successful commercial mill will prove instrumental to achieving our objective of developing lighter and stronger low-carbon alloys for America.”

“I am thrilled to join the Braidy Industries team, creating a generational shift in the production of aluminum and other lightweighting materials,” Otero says. “Working alongside my uniquely talented colleagues, we have our common goal of bringing economic revitalization to Appalachia,” he adds.