The Recoiler - Special Edition 2018

Special Edition I Vol 75 I 2018

Vice President Mike Pence Calls Mill Steel An American Success Story

It was certainly not a “business as usual” day at the office. Wednesday, September 12th, will forever be known as a very special day in Mill Steel Company history. Secret Service agents blanketed our property and a pristine production floor showcased our shiniest master coils for a special welcome. On that day, the 48th Vice President of the United States Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence, along with Governor Rick Snyder and Congressman Bill Huizenga, visited our corporate headquarters in Grand Rapids.

From the heart of our operations, amongst our coils and associates, the Governor and Vice President delivered remarks on the resurgence of Midwest manufacturing and strength of the economy. In his speech, Vice President Pence called Mill Steel, “an American success story.” He commended our company for investing back into our associates and for all we have accomplished together. To be selected by our government to host such an event was an honor and privilege.

NORMS

& VALUES

People We believe in ourselves and trust one another.

Customer Satisfaction We will do everything necessary to meet the needs of our customers.

Accountability We are accountable to our customers and to eachother.

Quality Work Environment We will provide a challenging work environment.

Community We support our community needs.

Profit We will earn a reasonable profit to assure stability and security for ourselves.

Employee Empowerment We are empowered to do our jobs.

Quality and Continuous Improvement We believe in continuous improvement through the use of corrective action process.

Facilities We will have a clean, safe place to work.

Integrity/Ethics We will be honest and fair.

Q&A:

2

With Pam Heglund, Mark Rabitoy, Rob Vella, and Amanda Allspach self, Rob was a godsend relative to facility planning.

AA: Monday morning when Marc sent out a meeting request titled, "VP Visit”. I initially thought we were hosting the vice president of a local company. When we started discussing all of the preparation that had to happen, it became clear he was referencing the Vice President of the United States.

How did Vice President Mike Pence f ind out about Many hands took part in preparing for this day and ensuring Mill Steel? everything came together. Here is a special behind the PH: We were told that we had been on the White House’s radar for quite scenes interview with several of the key players involved. some time because of the tax bonus we passed on to all of our associates.

When did you first find out about the visit?

PH: When I received a call from David on Sunday afternoon.

RV: Sunday night, my phone was on the kitchen counter and I was outside with the kids. David called me four times in a row. My mind started racing about all that could have gone wrong while I was calling him back. He told me that the Vice President was coming and I was relieved for a split second, and then my mind started racing again. I came to the plant that afternoon to meet up with Marc and Secret Service detail to walk and discuss the property.

MR: It was early Sunday afternoon a few days before the event and I had just spent a couple of hours getting ready to paint the ceiling in my kitchen. I was about to open a fresh can of paint when David called to ask if I could meet him at the office.

He indicated that the Vice President was coming to Grand Rapids and some people from his Advance Team wanted to talk to us about doing an event at our plant. Upon arriving at the office, David and I met briefly to discuss the opportunity.

We were both excited and anxious.

A few minutes later, personnel from

the Vice President’s office and Secret Service began to show up. We initiated an impromptu strategy session in David’s office. Over the next hour or so, about 20 additional government employees from various federal agencies trickled in to join the discussion. We moved to the training room where David and I fielded questions about what kind of event might work at the site. It was an overwhelming experience for us both.

There were so many questions and ideas being discussed that I literally could not write fast enough to keep up. Rob Vella also drove in to help provide our visitors a plant tour and assist in the planning. Having spent zero time on the GR plant floor my-

What were your initial thoughts when you found out?

PH: I was shocked and a million thoughts ran through my head about the preparation, space, security, etc.!

RV: This is going to be one crazy week. What an incredible honor to host the Vice President of the United States.

MR: I was concerned about the short timeframe to prepare for the visit.

We had less than two days to plan and arrange, as everything had to be ready by the close of business on Tuesday. I was told repeatedly by the Advance Team from the Vice President’s office that this never happens.

They usually have at least seven days to plan and they were very concerned that we would not be able to get the facility secure and ready.

What was the hardest part about preparing for this special visit?

PH: In general, all the preparation involved with the security teams was probably the most demanding on everyone’s time.

RV: I was pulled in a million directions.

The White House wanted this, Secret Service wants that.

We need steel stacked here, we need steel stacked there, and we need steel stacked higher! How do we park? How do we get our trucks out to our customers? How are we going to slit all of these orders? The list goes on…

MR: For me, the hardest part of preparing for the event was the initial uncertainty of what the Vice President’s people wanted to do. During our time together on Sunday, they tossed around several ideas. After an extensive tour of the facility and questioning, the team began to get excited about the possibility of having the Vice President speak on the floor of the facility surrounded by our associates and steel coils. This idea didn't get finalized until late in the evening on Sunday.

da and Kaley. With very little time for ideation and planning, our marketing team quickly took action. They created, ordered and set up educational graphics for the tour to help the dignitaries understand what we do and how we operate. They interfaced directly with Rob and the Vice President’s Advance Team to ensure that the speaking space was not only functional and safe, but aesthetically pleasing so that anyone who attended the event would get the best possible impression of Mill Steel. They worked quickly and effectively to ensure that any messaging coming out of the event was not only truthful, but presented Mill Steel in the most positive light possible. Finally, Amanda and Kaley took charge of a ton of details on the day of the event to ensure that the people attending were properly greeted, informed and vetted. Phenomenal job team!

AA: Kaley Shaheen did a wonderful job on the marketing side of things! She helped on everything from the presentation boards for the tour to hiring a photographer, and many details in between. From my desk window, I had a front row seat to all that took place on the plant floor leading up to the event. The operations team did an amazing job getting the space cleaned and rearranged in time for the event!

AA: Taking direction from all the different authorities involved (the Vice President’s Advancement Team, Secret Service, our Partners, local Police, etc.) and not knowing the exact chain of command. I was passing on information to our associates from one party, only to find out Rob was directed otherwise by a different party. I never knew whose direction took precedence over the other, I just tried to follow instruction as best I could!

Who had a large part in the preparation for this day?

PH: I could list many names but the ones that come to mind first are Rob, Marc, Kevin B., Amanda, Kaley and all the guys on the floor that rearranged the plant space for the tour and speech.

RV: The plant associates did so much work. They came in early and stayed late. They cleaned, painted, laid down mats, helped with parking, moved 3,000 plus tons of steel around to make it safe for visitors and to show well for the cameras. This was all in addition to making shipments to our customers.

MR: I think Rob and the GR operations team had the most work to do in the shortest period of time. Not only did they have to ensure that our customers were served appropriately throughout the week, but they had to manage every physical detail for the event. Furthermore, they made sure the entire facility was properly cleaned and ready for the visit. The effort this team put into the event was staggering and the facility was "perfect." I received numerous compliments from the team from the Vice President's office about how nice the facility looked and what a great job the team did from Sunday to Tuesday to prepare.

I’m also incredibly proud of our marketing team of Aman-

How did you ensure that our customers were taken care of amidst this exciting day?

PH: Rob and his team made sure we ran overtime so the Grand Rapids production team caught up, and everyone stayed up to date on their mobile devices throughout the event.

RV: We had a Monday morning meeting to make sure we got everything charted and on trucks. The GR plant worked 12 hours all three days to make sure our customers had everything we needed. Melvindale helped cover a few urgent orders the day of the visit.

What was your favorite memory or your favorite part of the experience?

PH: My favorite memory was getting to see Vice President Pence get introduced to our associates and their families.

I was overjoyed to see so many of our associate’s families attend.

RV: My wife and kids having the opportunity to meet the Vice President of the United States. My girls we’re very excited and Governor Snyder was kind enough to give them

Q&A Continued special pens from the Governor’s office. Second favorite moment was witnessing how much goes into each travel day for the Vice President. It was incredible to see all that was involved in making sure the Vice President is safe.

MR: As I was in the holding area after the event, I didn’t personally see what happened after the speech ended. However, I am told that our associates truly embraced the opportunity to personally meet and shake Vice President Pence’s hand. I was also told he did a bunch of selfies with our associates. As the event was invitation only, we were able to tightly manage attendees. This allowed the Vice President to be comfortable enough to meet with everyone in the crowd and I am told he took full advantage of the opportunity.

Love it! I wish I could have seen it.

AA: Seeing all of the moving parts come together for a well-executed event, especially given the short amount of time we had to prepare. I was so proud of our Mill Steel team. Also, meeting the Vice President was something I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to do, let along in such a personal setting like our very own facility.

How will this impact Mill Steel going forward?

PH: I think it certainly puts Mill Steel on the map within our local community and provided us a great opportunity.

RV: Every person that I’ve been in contact with has been very excited to hear about Mill Steel hosting the Vice President. I believe this helps continue to promote the strength that Mill Steel has to offer our customers and vendors.

MR: It is difficult to know how the event will impact Mill Steel longterm. In the short run, I think our associates and the business partners we invited truly enjoyed and appreciated the experience. From my perspective, this event was a celebration of the resurgence of manufacturing in Michigan and the Midwest. It was also an opportunity for the Governor, the Vice President and everyone attending to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of David Samrick, his family, and Mill Steel.

AA: Our website and social media activity have gone through the roof since the visit. This definitely affirms that Mill Steel is a respected leader in our industry and community, and helps to further promote our company.

Any other comments you would like to add about the visit?

RV: We had snipers on the roof! That’s pretty awesome!

MR: I’ve written or said this several times, but it is worth memorializing. I think any company that is asked by its government to host an event of this nature should feel honored and privileged to do so. I’m extremely proud of how our team came together to make the event such an incredible success. I’m also very pleased by how respectful everyone was of the Vice President’s remarks. Awesome job Mill Steelers!

AA: The cover photo on the Vice President’s Twitter account is one from his speech here at Mill Steel, which is pretty cool!

Media Reel:

To download photos from the event visit: http://bit.ly/2zn17mn5 To read the full transcript of the Vice President's remarks, visit: https://bit.ly/2Nx5TpU

Media Reel:

To download photos from the event visit: http://bit.ly/2zn17mn6 To read the full transcript of the Vice President's remarks, visit: https://bit.ly/2Nx5TpU