Oak Williams is currently the Vice President, Commercial for Infra-Metals. Oak began working at our company in 1998 after graduating from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career journey in an entry-level sales position, perhaps never expecting that he would still be here almost 24 years later. Optimism is the word that Oak most enjoys being associated with and hopes to share in each of his daily interactions. His wife Michelle, his daughter Adriana(9) and his son Theo(6) are priority number one in his life, after that it’s sunshine, physical activity, and whatever challenge that particular day brings which matters most.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Oak was hired to work in the sales department for the Wallingford, CT branch but in a rather unconventional way. At that time, our first CNC plate processing machine was being installed and there wasn’t a resource on hand that had any experience with CNC programming. Coupled with his knowledge of AutoCAD and basic G & M coding, Oak found himself as the subject matter expert by default. After about six months of working in the warehouse, he returned to the office to begin what would eventually be a long and fulfilling career in the commercial and leadership side of the business. Oak quickly found that the entrepreneurial culture at Infra-Metals is designed to cultivate the individual by identifying and supporting their strengths. As an inside sales representative, Oak was afforded the opportunity to learn about multiple aspects of the business, such as operations, finance, credit, procurement, marketing, and other key business functions.
In 2013, after more than a decade of success in sales, Oak was offered the opportunity to take on the position of general manager for the yet to built and newest large scale service center in New Boston, Ohio. In this role, he was entrusted to develop the business and the Ohio team from the ground up. This allowed for the creation of a culture that would soon be the benchmark of his approach in future roles. After a successful and educational five years as leader of the New Boston team, Oak was promoted to vice president, commercial in 2018.
Current Day-to-Day as Vice President, Commercial
In his current role, Oak has become a leader, a servant, and a problem-solver. On a daily basis, he helps to solve multipart issues with vendors, customers and most importantly his teammates. As an advocate for all of the hard working and fun loving people within the Infra-Metals family, Oak focuses much of his time on just that, the people. This prioritizes acting as a resource for all employees to turn, to discuss complex issues and to seek advice and guidance. “Creating a fulfilling, safe, and optimistic work environment not only allows us all to achieve the best possible results for the company, more importantly it allows us all to be the best we can be in our lives outside walls of work. This is the future of a work life balance and one that will allow us all to continue to build and improve upon the previous successes of the company.“
A Career In Steel
“We buy and sell steel, however this is what we do, it is not who we are. The “what” does not have to define us, it’s the “who” that I really love to develop and focus on. I want to create an environment where you feel safe to speak your truth, you feel as though you belong, and your ideas and opinions are valued, appreciated, and acted upon, i.e. you want to come to work every day”
Oak came to Infra-Metals at age 21 with a goal of being a leader, so far that goal has been achieved by working hard and believing in the company and his teammates as much as the company and his teammates have believed in him.
Randall Puente is currently the Plate Processing Coordinator at Infra-Metals in Petersburg, VA. Originally from Houston, TX, Randall entered the steel industry with no prior experience working with steel. His father-in-law knew about a company that was looking for people in Atlanta where he spent the next four years welding and fitting. Eventually he was transferred to Virginia to work as a machine operator on a beam line for a local competitor before coming to Infra-Metals.
Randall’s career with us has spanned almost two decades. He started as a Crane Operator in 2003 and eventually moved into the processing department as a Saw Operator in 2005. Randall was determined to learn more and decided to further his career in processing steel by taking on new challenges in the department.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
In 2007, Randall learned the skills necessary to become a plate burner utilizing the various machines Infra-Metals operates. The oxy fuel and plasma machines tested his knowledge and soon he became the Lead Burner at the facility in 2011. Lead Burners bear the responsibility of being subject matter experts and so it requires him to also mentor his peers to ensure we produce the quality processed plates that meet the Infra-Metals standard. In early 2021, Randall was named the Plate Processing Coordinator for Petersburg.
“I enjoy the diverse work environment and the opportunity to engage with Sales and Production and contributing to the commercial team.”
Current Day-to-Day as Plate Processing Coordinator
Randall is responsible for programming, scheduling and sending the CNC files to the machines in our plate processing department. His knowledge and expertise give us the advantage where we utilize plates available to produce the least amount of scrap per the customer’s requirements. Randall assists the Sales Department read drawings, validate them for accuracy and offers help quoting the project. “Often times the dimensions and/or radius doesn’t work or the drawings are missing information so I have to evaluate the situation and work with Sales to get project files corrected.” Additionally he reviews the drawings to ensure everything works between processing centers as well such as oxy/plasma work before press brake work. Randall enjoys learning and working with the new machinery Infra-Metals has invested in and looks to expand his education and knowledge as we continue to grow.
In his spare time, Randall can be found working on his cars. He has a passion for car customization and has been active in the low rider scene for many years. “I look forward to weekends with my family and friends cruising the car around.”
Randall has been an integral component to the success of the processing department in Petersburg, VA. and we look forward to his future with Infra-Metals!
Josh Nesbitt is currently the Operations Manager at Infra-Metals in Atlanta, GA. Josh’s journey has covered several decades as well as company names. He began his career in 2000 as a Machine Operator when the company was known as Georgia Steel. Eventually Reliance Steel & Aluminum acquired Industrial Metal Supply and merged both companies to become IMS / Georgia Steel, which ultimately became a division of Infra-Metals in 2015.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Josh has held many roles in Atlanta, primarily focused on the processing side of the business. In 2006, he became the Processing Supervisor which was responsible for all plate processing and saw scheduling. He found his role challenging because of the diversity in machinery and the daily challenges of coordinating shipment and delivery schedules as well as managing personnel. CNC programming helped him gain additional experience, which made him a natural fit for the role given his knowledge as a plate burning operator. “Managing the differences between shifts was unexpected” due to the typical priorities between the shifts and yet it was Josh’s dynamic approach to the processing department that facilitated successfully the goal of prepping processed loads for on-time delivery.
Current Day-to-Day as Operations Manager
Josh is now responsible for the operations of the facility and it’s employees that work in the warehouse. He oversees all processing and production. With that in mind safety is the number one priority in our facilities and we want everyone to leave here the same way you showed up. “The safety of my employees is my number one concern.” Josh spearheaded the safety program in Atlanta. All jobs go through a JSA (Job Safety Analysis) followed up by a review of the job. We look for safety issues and explore ways to mitigate and eliminate them by incorporating JSO (Job Safety Observations). Everyday poses new challenges and Josh enjoys the pace, problem solving and order fulfillment processes all while running a safe environment for his employees.
Josh aspires to make the Atlanta division the best and most competitive location within the Infra-Metals family while nurturing the success of his employees. Starting his third decade with Infra-Metals, Josh continues looking for process improvement. “The safety of my employees are my #1 priority from the time I walk in that door.”
Joe Deskovich is currently the Operations Manager at Infra-Metals in Marseilles, IL. Prior to coming to Infra-Metals, Joe’s career began in human resources with a food services company where he gained essential experience in payroll, workman’s compensation and safety guidance. Joe began his career in 2004, after responding to an online job opening, when he started as the Human Resources and Safety Manager. Joe was looking for new opportunities to grow professionally as well as a company that offered him a way to achieve it.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
After recognizing the need for a time-off management system, Joe approached IT with the idea to create an application which ultimately became InfraNET; a company-wide internal internet resource that continues to be used to this day for not only vacation requests but much more. A little over a year later Joe began helping out in traffic as an assistant when needed and soon after became the Traffic Manager in 2005 when the opportunity presented itself. He enjoyed the fast pace decision making responsibilities the role offered and the impact it had to the overall operation. Joe took this new opportunity to leave his own personal mark by implementing a scheduling strategy that alleviated logistical bottlenecks in the shipping and receiving process. Additionally, Joe grew the CDL Driver staff from 4-12 and expanded the department personnel. Joe liked the daily challenges and noted: “Success is a journey, goals are but navigation points.”
Until 2018, Joe continued to run traffic, but set his sights on yet another opportunity. When the Operations Manager position opened up Joe threw his name in the hat and ultimately accepted the new role.
Current Day-to-Day as Operations Manager
In his current role, Joe has enjoyed cultivating a culture and workplace that fosters the growth in team members and professional growth he was looking for when he began his career. Joe helped to develop and implement a employee centered and positively reinforced work environment where the employee comes first. This led to completely readjusting our safety and training programs while collaborating with the management team and warehouse supervisors. His number one goal is to maintain a completely injury and accident free work environment. Joe also has prioritized the importance of how we handle, control and monitor inventory. It comes in a close second and presents new logistical challenges every day.
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi
Alex Wamsley is currently a Sale Representative in our New Boston, OH facility. He has been with Infra-Metals since November of 2014. Alex found Infra-Metals through word of mouth while working for a funeral services company. Alex jokes that he was looking for a more “lively” work experience. When he came to us he didn’t have any prior work experience in steel or distribution. Alex accepted a position as Crane Operator, in what was then a relatively new service center to Infra-Metals. Training was conducted through hands on experience with peers and he excelled at his job. He was happy slinging the chains for a little over a year when a warehouse supervisor position became available.
In 2015 he became 2nd Shift Supervisor. It was a natural fit for Alex because he was already very familiar with operations and training was done through working closely with the Operations Manager and other Supervisors. Being responsible for more people now gave him an opportunity to lead by example which he has done well at. Always looking forward, Alex seized the opportunity to take a hand in sales in 2018.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Alex feels that the ability to get better as a group is very rewarding and enjoys the journey so far. The entire workforce at New Boston has matured collectively and as as result they have gotten more efficient and productive as a service center. Community feedback and suggestions have improved the company. Engaging in conversations at all levels including upper management has been essential because they listen to feedback/suggestions and implement solutions for the greater good.
Alex notes that sales training was straight forward since was already familiar with the software in his prior role as Supervisor. Being a Sales Representative gives you a chance to build a business of your own by building accounts. He worked closely with the sales staff to understand the day to day commercial business along with in house training from senior sales staff.
Fun Fact
“I dug graves as a summer job before coming to Infra-Metals.”
Current Day-To-Day
The fast pace in the commercial environment is what Alex really enjoys. No day is ever the same. “You never know what you’re coming in to”. He notes how proud he is of New Boston because of how much throughput the warehouse team is able to achieve. Alex enjoys the thrill of selling in a commodity based market and appreciates the tight knit community feeling his colleagues and customers provide. “I’ve developed great friendships with everyone.”
Amy Haney, Sales Manager for Infra-Metals Marseilles, IL
Amy Haney is currently the Sales Manager in our Marseilles, IL facility. Amy’s prior experience in the hospitality industry has enabled her to polish her approach towards customers’ and their needs. She dedicated her time and energy in that space for 8 years through college and after, working her way up the ranks to become the general manager. Amy was seeking new opportunities and after being referred by another employee, she began her career with Infra-Metals in 2008 as a Sales Representative.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Amy worked closely and was mentored by her then Sales Manager/General Manager for the next five or so years learning and servicing accounts until she was offered the additional responsibility of managing our Tubing Products. Managing the purchasing of tubing products helped Amy build confidence in herself while further diversifying her knowledge of those products and their real life applications. She spent her time reviewing current trends and forecasting for the future needs of the division. “Working for Infra-Metals is more than a job…I love the relationships I’ve developed with my team, customers and suppliers…their value is beyond measure.” She believes those relationships are the foundation for her success.
In 2018, Amy became the Sales Manager and still maintains her role as Product Manager. Amy has seen many changes and grown with Infra-Metals over the course of her 13 years. She participated in the centralization of the company, which has strengthened our position in the marketplace. Since Amy has been with Infra-Metals, there has been a positive culture shift with an emphasis towards its employees. This wellbeing effort has proven not only to foster a very healthy work environment, it creates high performing productive members of the team that want to show up for you.
Current Day-To-Day
Amy feels it’s important to lead by example and be of service. She wouldn’t ask anything of her staff that she wouldn’t personally do. She can regularly be found working one on one with her teammates, cultivating and professionally developing each of them. Her goal is to maintain the highest level of customer service while keeping her team motivated, engaged and on track. Every day is different and that brings new and exciting challenges. Working for Infra-Metals offers a dynamic environment that is fast paced with limitless possibilities.
“The ceiling is as high as you set it!”
Amy looks towards the future where she would like to be in upper management and help continue to cultivate a place where people want to work. She wants to further nurture the culture where people want to show up for you and feel fulfilled doing so. Working in the steel industry as a female comes with some challenges but by no means does she see it as a weakness. Amy notes the tremendous support she has garnered from her coworkers and peers and feels that her role has been very rewarding. In addition to her work responsibilities, Amy also enjoys spending time with her husband and children, planning family vacations. We should also mention she’s a foodie and loves to cook.
We are pleased to have such a valuable asset on our team!
Favorite Quote
“Progress not perfection.”
UPDATED as of 4/1/2022: At the time of writing this piece Amy was the Sales Manager of Marseilles. We are pleased to announce that Amy is now the General Manager for the Marseilles Division. Her responsibilities have grown exponentially and we couldn’t be prouder to highlight her rise to success. Congratulations Amy on your new role!
Corey Swords is currently the Safety Supervisor in our New Boston, OH facility.Corey began his career with Infra-Metals in 2013 as a first shift crane operator. Since New Boston was a brand new facility there were plenty of opportunities to grow. Working previously at a steel fabrication facility, Corey was familiar with how things worked with steel. His shipping and logistics experience helped him to understand the production side of the business.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Starting with a 3 month training program working with veterans in the Wallingford, CT facility, afforded him the knowledge necessary to successfully operate machinery in the new service center opening in New Boston, OH. He was excited to work for a “brand new company that he could grow with.” Corey quickly learned how to operate the band saws and spent several months working in processing. Soon after he began working as a loader for the remainder of the year. In 2015 and over the next three years, Corey moved between several shift supervisor positions, ultimately becoming the 1st Shift Warehouse Supervisor.
Personal growth and working with a quality team are what Corey values when showing up everyday. “Putting the right people in the right positions to utilize everyone’s strengths and maximize output is a recipe for success.”
Current Day-To-Day
Corey enjoys coordinating with the team in New Boston. “It is very dynamic and every day is different.”
Our services centers work towards monthly goals and it takes every department working together to achieve it. Corey says his environment really makes him feel that he is part of a team and a greater purpose. We are always working to find the most efficient way to deliver our products and services to our customers. That’s the Infra Way. Thank you Corey for all your efforts! Now go get out there and swing those clubs!
John Perez is the Maintenance Supervisor for the Tampa, FL division. He has been with Infra-Metals since September of 2008. During his time there, John has held several positions which has led him on a diverse journey with the company. When John arrived at Infra-Metals he was starting in a new industry and proved his ability to adapt and grow with the company.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
John had moved from Puerto Rico to California where he began life in the States. At the time John had been working in a hospital as a Dispatcher when his company had transferred him to another Florida hospital. John was introduced to Infra-Metals through a family member and current employee in July of 2008. At that time John was brought on as a temporary worker in the Tampa warehouse. After several months John was offered the position of Crane Operator in September of 2008. John quickly moved into other positions within operations such as Loader and then CNC Operator.
Eventually the position of 3rd Shift Supervisor became available and John decided to apply for the job. He had held that position for the next 5 years and demonstrated strong leadership qualities to both his team and the warehouse’s operations management. In 2019 he was able to apply for the position of warehouse Maintenance Supervisor. Because of John’s strong operations background and diverse skillset he is able to lend his expertise to his current role very effectively. John holds certifications as a Forklift Operator, Man-lift Operator, Dispatcher, CPR First Responder and Trainer. John also holds a CDL-A and is a trained programmer.
“If you want to grow, show initiative. Don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do. When you do something, do it better than what they expected you to do. Go above and beyond. And never be afraid to ask questions.”
A Funny Story
“It was my first day as a temp on the job. The Operations Manager came up to me and stepped on my boot to check and see if I had steel toe boots on. I thought to myself, did he just step on my brand new, steel toe boots? At first, I thought, I’m not going to like it here, but instead, I really did! And well, my Operations Manager saw something in me that I at the time didn’t see in myself. He was instrumental in my growth.”
Current Day-To-Day
In John’s current role he enjoys teaching others how to work safer and smarter. Since he is cross trained, he can jump in when we are short- handed and load trucks, drive the forklift, do programming, burn material or unload trucks. He maintains our equipment as well as the facility. When asked: What do you enjoy about your current role? John responds: “Everything in my position now; I get dirty; I fix equipment and when I’m needed somewhere else in the facility, I can jump in and help. No one day is ever the same. This job keeps me on my toes. It constantly provides challenges and allows me to use my knowledge along with my skills to trouble shoot.”
Jimmy Carter is currently the Sales Manager at Infra-Metals in Atlanta, GA. Jimmy’s career in steel has spanned over 3 decades. Needless to say he’s seen some things. His career began 36 years ago when he and his wife made the bold move to leave his hometown of Louisville, KY and start from scratch in Atlanta, GA. Having family ties back to the steel industry helped him choose his path once he arrived. Jimmy contacted every fabricator listed in the yellow pages to understand who their suppliers were and so he made his way to Georgia Steel and Supply Co. The makings of sales person were evident.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
In 1984, Jimmy began working at GA Steel and Supply Co. as a Third Shift Loader and Operator. His strong work ethic earned him Shift Supervisor after only 6 months. The following year he was promoted again to Dayshift Supervisor and Machine operator. By 1987 he had found himself working as the Sales Representative for the then Will Call business. Jimmy spent the year learning the sales side of the steel business and sought out an opportunity that would set in motion the later part of his career. After approaching management and requesting a meeting with the owner, Jimmy earned his place at the sales desk where he earned the title of Top Salesperson from 1988-89. Jimmy spent the next five years in Inside Sales when eventually he moved to Outside Sales.
Current Day-to-Day as Sales Manager
Jimmy has seen the acquisition of GA Steel & Supply as well as IMS GA Steel to Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. over the course of his career. He enjoys challenging his team and bringing out the best in every one of them. Strategizing with his team first thing in the morning to working closely with customers to ensure they get the service that makes Infra-Metals so successful.
TJ Ellis, Operations Manager for Infra-Metals New Boston, began working as a Maintenance Supervisor at our company in 2014.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
TJ, like many employees at Infra-Metals, has held several roles throughout his time with us. The New Boston facility was recently opened and was in need of bringing several CNC machines online for production. This became TJ’s number one priority. Several months in he was approached to take over the burn department to manage tooling, scheduling, and operational procedures. With the successful implementation in New Boston, TJ had the opportunity to lend his experience to our Tampa, FL location where he reduced our processing backlogs and shortened lead times.
TJ notes that his transition between previous and current roles has been very seamless given the fact that he worked with many seasoned mentors within the organization. Working in our current team environment enables people to continuously drive, improve and curate new ideas all while making our warehouse safer and more productive for everyone.
Current Day-to-Day of Operations Manager
In his current role as Operations Manager, TJ strives to build a team dedicated to safety and drive the concept of continuous improvement while exceeding our customer’s expectations. He enjoys setting goals and reaching them. TJ has been part of a greater initiative to create a safer work environment. His role has allowed him to work on programs that facilitate employees reaching their personal and professional potential.
Looking to the future, TJ strives to move up and contribute at different levels of the organization.
“The key to success is to focus on the goals, and not the obstacles.”
Oak Williams is currently the Vice President, Commercial for Infra-Metals. Oak began working at our company in 1998 after graduating from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career journey in an entry-level sales position, perhaps never expecting that he would still be here almost 24 years later. Optimism is the word that Oak most enjoys being associated with and hopes to share in each of his daily interactions. His wife Michelle, his daughter Adriana(9) and his son Theo(6) are priority number one in his life, after that it’s sunshine, physical activity, and whatever challenge that particular day brings which matters most.
TJ Ellis, Operations Manager for Infra-Metals New Boston, began working as a Maintenance Supervisor at our company in 2014.