Brian Marshall is the General Manager for New Boston, OH.
Formerly a realtor from New Boston, OH, Brian was always plugged in to things happening in his home town. He came across an article in the local newspaper that ultimately changed his career path and it’s trajectory from day one. Brian leveraged LinkedIn at the time and tracked down the current General Manager of New Boston, Oak Williams, to land an interview for a new sales position. Brian left behind his dream of opening up his own real estate company and started with Infra-Metals New Boston in June of 2013 and never looked back.
“It was clear early on that I made the right decision and found myself very blessed to be part of the Infra Family.”
The newly hired staff for New Boston spent the next 4-6 months training in Wallingford, CT. Everyone started by learning the business from an operations viewpoint moving forward and they participated in warehouse training by learning products and first stage processing.
“We learned all of the components of what goes in to making a sale and the inputs that go in to delivering material to a customer.”
At Infra-Metals, our commercial training encompasses the entire picture from learning about the various products and processing equipment to ride-a-longs with drivers, crane and forklift operators and all the software that keeps production humming along. Learning the software system is extensive and training for it is very comprehensive. Account Representatives spend weeks using tools such as Command Center and Multing for practice entering pre-existing orders. Additionally they are also given prospecting tools to help them build their own book of business.
“Infra-Metals has a very entrepreneurial spirit to it’s culture.”
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
In 2018 the existing Sales Manager was promoted to General Manager and Brian saw yet another opportunity for growth and was promoted to Sales Manager. The New Boston plant found out they were in a very heavy processing area and their customers needed it. Brian and his staff, along with upper management, looked at re-tooling their processes to position the New Boston facility to capitalize on the markets demand for value-added first stage processing. They added two new automatic saws to boost capacity, two plasma machines for plate, and a press brake to name a few. Growing the business at New Boston continued for the next 4 years until yet another opportunity presented itself.
Current Day-to-day as General Manager
In June of 2022, Brian was named the General Manager of New Boston, OH. The role is new for Brian but for him it has really been all about the people and overseeing the business. Maintaining the legacy and culture left behind by the prior two GM’s and consistently reinforcing that message is Brian’s main focus. As the responsibilities have changed from Sales Manager to General Manager the goal remains the same , which is to promote a safety first and commercially successful business through positive and effective leadership across all levels.
“To achieve this everyone must align with our safety policies and procedures.”
This role affords Brian the ability to affect positive change on the people and business. He looks forward to nurturing new leaders in all positions within the facility and lend his experience wherever he can.
Hobbies
Brian’s daughter is active in travel volleyball and softball and that’s how they spend their vacations.
“I’m a father and that comes first. We have enjoyed traveling the country together and I cherish the memories that we have made through competitive sports.”
Quote
“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon, must inevitably come to pass“ – Paul J. Meyer
Anthony Forino is the Processing Supervisor for Marseilles, IL.
Anthony “Tony” Forino has been a veteran of the Marseilles, IL facility for over 18 years. He came to Infra-Metals in 2004, already experienced in CNC machine and fork truck operation from his previous employer. His parents lived near a barge terminal and heard about the company and decided to reach out to the operations manager at the time. For the next few years Tony operated the burning oxy, plasma, camber and saw machines. Training in those early days was peer-to-peer and thus he worked closely with other shift supervisors to learn the ropes. It is of notable mention that Tony holds the record in Marseilles for the most beams cambered in one evening at 76. Anyone is up for taking on that challenge!
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
In 2006 Tony moved on to First Shift Crane Operator, where most of the inbound and offloading occurs. Shortly after Tony was then promoted to second shift supervisor in 2007 where he would remain for the next 7 years. Working as shift supervisor, you are the go-to expert for all of the personnel working that particular shift. It is a fast pace environment because 2nd shift is preparing picks and processing to be completed and loaded for that evening and next day deliveries.
“The role can be challenging as customer needs or requirements change daily so you never know what you’re going to run into each day.”
In 2014, Tony made another career move and was promoted to Processing Supervisor.
Current Day-to-day as Processing Supervisor
The role of processing supervisor poses it’s own set of challenges. Customers still have new daily requirements and the processing department has to be agile enough to compensate for these demands. He works to schedule all of the work for the 3 shifts that goes through the blaster, cambering, saw, and t-splitter machines as well as all of the consumables needed to keep them running. Additionally, Tony works closely with the Sales department and coordinates with the Traffic department to ensure on-time delivery of quality work for our customers.
Tony notes that working at Infra-Metals has been a journey and a rewarding one with a positive culture and an emphasis on safety.
“The company treats it employees great and I plan on being here another 20 years.”
Tony even has family working with us with a cousin and his cousin’s father. Having been with us for so many years, Tony has seen a lot and laughed a lot with his fellow co-workers. One story he remembers well was when he was on second shift and a raccoon got its head stuck in a peanut butter jar. He watched as Dean Fox (Maintenance) was whacking it with a board trying to get the vermin out of the warehouse, laughing hysterically at Dean. Eventually the raccoon jumped into the barge slip to escape Dean’s “Hacksaw Jim Duggan” rant.
Hobbies
Tony is a family oriented man and enjoys spending time with them boating, waterskiing and fishing.
Quote
“Theres no stupid question. If you’re unsure just ask!”
Nick Grieco is the Operations Manager in Wallingford, CT. Originally from Connecticut, Nick spent time in Florida working for a low voltage security company where he installed entry, emergency and security systems. Nick arrived back home in Connecticut where he took a warehouse position in January of 2011. He went through peer training for crane operation and quickly became a loader. Several Nor’easters later, in June of 2013, Nick became the Lead Operator of the Wheelabrator. This machine, for those not aware, is basically a building unto itself. He managed all of the workloads for the three shifts that operated it, handled the maintenance and consumables as well as scheduled the personnel.
“Infra-Metals is the land of opportunity.”
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Further applying his skills learned over the previous six years, Nick took on yet another role. In 2017 he became the Processing Supervisor for second shift and several years later moved to first shift. The opportunity afforded him to manage more of his peers while still focusing on processing. Now, he was responsible for all of the machines in the Wallingford facility. “I had a closer relationship with traffic and maintenance than ever before.” Nick continues for the next several years in this role and ultimately landed on first shift and operating in a more managerial aspect.
Current Day-to-day as Operations Manager
In April of 2021, Nick was named Operations Manager for Wallingford. Nick’s daily responsibility now encompasses all of the operations within the New England facility. “I like working with people and I get to do that everyday with the best.” He relates well to other employees regarding the decision to work at Infra. We have all sorts of people here that come from different backgrounds, but they all have the same opportunity. He feels that its important to stay at eye level with all employees.
“Times are changing and the workforce is changing.”
Additionally Nick work’s closely with the general manager to protect the company’s most valuable investment…The employees that work at Infra-Metals. When asked how he continues to keep the safety message front and center his response was to keep the supervisors involved in the mission and believing the vision. They have to be lifted up and encouraged to keep the future of the safety program moving forward and firmly implemented. Building a trusting relationship with his guys remains a top priority in the success Wallingford and he continues to foster an environment that promotes open communications when problems and safety issues arise.
Hobbies and Interests
When not overseeing the warehouse operations and employees, Nick can be found enjoying family time, golf and bowling.
On May 11, 2022, Infra-Metals and Delta Steel received the 2021 MSCI Safety Innovation & Improvement Award for the the Infra-Metals Trailer Rail Safety System.
In early 2019, our company had experienced several injuries and/or near misses resulting from falls from trailers. As a result, we challenged ourselves to find a solution to eliminate and reduce the fall risk while working on top of a trailer deck.
The Infra-Metals Trailer Rail Safety System is a fall prevention safety device which provides a barrier around the perimeter of the fall hazard when working on top of a flat bed trailer deck. The system eliminates the fall hazard that would normally require a fall protection device. It is lightweight, portable, durable, and can be installed quickly by attaching the safety device to the trailers existing rub rail. The safety device is made from welded and bent tubing and can be sized to fit multiple trailer configurations and can used in area’s where width is a concern. A newer version with a walk platform has been developed when materials prevent a walking area on the trailer and casters were added for ease of movement.
From Concept to Execution
We created a multi-location team that consisted of a mix of shop personnel and our highest-level management to brainstorm and test potential solutions. Our research revealed that while we could reduce the number of times, we got onto the trailer deck there were still circumstances where it was unavoidable. We reviewed, purchased and tested several promising devises that were available on the market, but none were effective in meeting our operational requirements.
Infra-Metals and Delta Steel personnel were collectively brainstorming amongst our locations for potential solutions to keep employees safe while working on top of trailers. At the time, Greg Borchardt was the General Manager of Infra-Metals in Petersburg, VA but was transitioning to take over for retiring VP of Operations – Mike Dean, who had initiated the project. We reviewed several different safety devices such as attachable netting and tie-off devices.
During one of these conversations, our GM in our Infra-Metals Marseilles location, Dave VonHolst, mentioned that he had seen some loading platforms in the nearby Nucor Tubular Mill. He inquired with them and was able to get some drawings and was offered a set of platforms to try as a loan. These were nice and spanned the full length of the trailer, included a platform to stand on, a handrail to keep you from falling, and they were on casters. The only problems were that they were heavy and wide. They would not work in our facilities due to the width requirements.
Around the same point in time, our Infra-Metals Wallingford facility had purchased a set of aluminum side rails that would fit into the stake pockets of a trailer. They were conducting a trial of these in their loading operation and they worked, but it took a lot of time to set them up and take them off. They were also difficult to pick up by yourself and get high enough in the air to seat them in the pockets. They were safe but not effective and management worried about the strain of setting 6 of these per trailer on every trailer we handled. These devices would solve the fall risk issue but it would create a strain and sprain hazard in our work environment.
There were several requirements we had established:
The device had to be slim
Be easy to move around
Use casters to eliminate the to lift it
Support a persons’ weight if they fell against it
Prevent a fall risk while on a trailer deck
We studied the drawings and the pictures of the potential solutions and evaluated the benefits of both. We needed to somehow take the effectiveness of both and make them work for our facilities.
The Solution
The trailers have side rails and stake pockets that we can hook into to provide the lateral stability, so the base doesn’t need to be wide to make them stable if we hook them onto the trailer. We drew out a very rough sketch. It was skeleton made from handrail pipe with wheels and a sliding hook that you could roll up to a trailer, slide the latches up and then hook them onto the side rail. We decided that it needed to be 16’ long which would be light enough to roll in and out of place easily and only take 3 devices per side to cover the entire length of a flat bed trailer. We then took the sketch to the Operations Manager of Infra-Metals Petersburg – Roy Glass and Maintenance Supervisor – Joe Krevonich. We asked them to put their heads together and build a prototype that we could test. It took them about a day, and they had built the first prototype that they thought would work. We took some videos and sent them to Mike Dean, who was Vice President at the time, and explained the concept to him through short videos of the device.
As it turns out, Mike had been asked to sit on a task force with other Reliance Steel and Aluminum family of company’s personnel to try and solve this problem. Also a member of this task force was Ed Comer, who is a Safety Specialist with Reliance that we have worked closely with in the past to solve many different problems. They took the ball and ran with. We worked with a fabricator who was also a customer to develop a 3D CAD drawing for the device. Another Reliance Steel company with engineers on staff made sure the safety device would handle the lateral load. They also produced a set of fabrication drawings to build from. Mike then sent Greg the drawings so we could have a local fabricator customer build a set of 6. We were able use these to evaluate the safety device on the shop floor in a real operational setting.
When this first set of 6 were complete, we put them to use in the Infra-Metals Petersburg warehouse. The feedback from our operators was mixed. They understood the benefit, but it was also another step in the operation, and it slowed them down. As we continued our live evaluation, we realized it only took a few minutes at each stop for the trailer. It wasn’t strenuous and the devise didn’t take up valuable space. The device performance exceeded expectations for eliminating the fall risk while working on a flat bed trailer.
With the support of our President Mark Haight, we rolled them out to all of our locations.
Commitment to continual improvement:
As we began to roll the devices out and use them, one of our locations met with yet another fabricator customer to potentially build them locally. Our General Manager at our Infra-Metals New Boston Facility – PJ Rase and the customer produced another iteration. They built a narrow rail that still hooks into the trailer but added a working platform to it. These had the benefit of a stable platform to work from with a handrail but still maintaining a small enough width to be useable in our facilities. We found that when you use the original narrow rail on one side of the trailer and the larger rail with the platform on the other side the safety device was also complementing our production requirements.
Lessons Learned
As it goes with all good stories, there’s a plot twist at the end. Today we have the safety rails located and in use at all of our Infra-Metals and Delta Steel locations. We also have been able to establish a firm policy that nobody is permitted on a trailer unless they have the safety rails in place. The twist is that we have continued to introduce “No-Touch” tools and find innovative ways to eliminate the necessity to get on top of flat bed trailers.
While we have significantly reduced the number of times, we get on top of a flat bed trailer with the use of these tools we understand our operations will continue to face scenarios when working on top is the only way to perform certain tasks on a flat bed trailer.
OSHA shows in 2020 flatbed trailers have been involved in 592 major injuries or fatalities.
Infra-Metals and Delta Steel had approximately 60 near-miss or OSHA recordable injuries from 2015 through 2019 working on top of flatbed trailers.
Infra-Metals and Delta Steel reduced the number of near-misses or OSHA recordables to approximately 4 from the time the flat bed trailer safety device was introduced in 2019 through 2020
Conclusion
We have significantly reduced the number of flatbed trailer near-misses and injuries due to the introduction of the “Trailer Safety Rail System” and our “No Touch” tools but our job is not done. We are committed to not just moving steel, but moving steel safely. At Infra-Metals and Delta Steel our number one priority is the safety of our team members, and we will continue to seek innovative ways to do our jobs safer.
Infra-Metals Co. was founded in 1990 intent on becoming the premier steel service center servicing the structural steel market. Since our inception, we have grown into one of the largest service centers with locations along the East Coast from New England to South Florida as well as into the Midwest from Illinois through Ohio and on through the Southwest in Texas. Delta Steel, Inc. is also a member of the Infra Metals organization and both belong to the Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Family of Companies.
Craig Crispens is a Account Representative in Wallingford, CT. Craig’s 19 year journey with Infra-Metals began in 2003 where he started as the IT Manager in Wallingford. He came from a network consulting career with a focus on infrastructure and scalable email systems. Craig saw an opportunity to build his own IT department from the ground up.
“There was an entrepreneurial spirit to Infra-Metals which drew me to the company.”
At that time, the computer networks at Infra-Metals were being built out, migrating from a workgroup to domain based infrastructure. His primary responsibility and focus was to build out and support the new network infrastructure and enable the various departments to function properly on a daily basis. Craig was also tasked with supporting the Unix based ERP software that Wallingford was running at that time which gave him the experience necessary for future roles within the company.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
Several years later a position became available in the traffic department for Traffic Manager. Traffic at Infra-Metals is one of the busiest departments in the company due to it’s interactivity with both sales and operations. Craig started this new role on his birthday in November of 2005, by learning how to build loads and coordinate with the warehouse. One of the most significant changes was the safety culture which led to a shift in company culture. Infra-Metals has always paid attention to safety but now there was a spotlight on it where the conversation was upfront and center on a daily basis. Craig developed his own approach to managing the traffic department by successfully coordinating the inbound and outbound deliveries as well as freight rates, office staff and company drivers.
In July 2021, Craig decided that he wanted to work on the commercial side of the business and took on the role of Account Representative.
Current Day-to-day as Sales Representative
“It was time for a change and I wanted to take on new challenges.” Craig functions mostly in a purchasing capacity, buying many of the products the company sells, but does handle some accounts on a daily basis. Each member of sales effectively runs their own small business, further enforcing the entrepreneurial spirit that defines Infra-Metals company culture. He enjoys analyzing the data to find opportunities for business decisions and actionable ways of putting that information to use.
“I don’t let anything sit idle on my desk!”
Hobbies and Interests
Craig and his wife now find themselves as empty nesters and really enjoy getting out to watch their two girls play college lacrosse. Many of you may also know that Craig is a huge UCONN men’s and women’s basketball aficionado and he annually organizes the NCAA tournament brackets for us all to compete in. Additional interests are finance and sports in general.
“Any thing is possible. It’s just a matter of cost and effort.”
marked 1000 days without an OSHA recordable accident in Petersburg. Everyone’s efforts are greatly appreciated and we couldn’t have achieved this accomplishment without your hard work and dedication to our safety program. As the saying goes; “safety is no accident”. The message we preach can sometimes get stagnant or repetitive, but results speak for themselves. Keep up the good work and let’s set another milestone!
Join us at the 2022 International Partnering Forum for Offshore Wind at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey April 26th-28th at booth# 413. IPF is the premier offshore energy conference in North America. Hosted by the Business Network for Offshore Wind, IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers breaking updates on the industry, from technology to policy.
IPF is the largest offshore wind conference in the Western hemisphere. It brings together the global offshore wind supply chain and provides the latest in education, networking, and platforms to help you grow your business.
Carlton Williams is the Processing Coordinator for Atlanta, GA. Carlton found his way into the steel industry after working as a commercial driver for a transportation company.
He has seen many different business entity transitions throughout his career, all while being employed at the same location. Carlton’s journey began in the summer of 96′ when he was hired on as a parts cleaner for a steel fabrication, erection and distribution company. Eventually he began working in the field erecting buildings for the likes of CVS and Walgreens. In the early 2000’s the company was purchased by another local steel distributor where they focused only on steel processing and distribution. His role changed from fabrication and erection to material handling.
Career Growth at Infra-Metals
In 2003 Carlton (A.K.A. “Josh Jr.”) moved to the processing department where he worked as a saw operator. Several years later he began working as a welder/fitter where he processed plate parts for TUG, which manufactures aviation ground support equipment. As the company continued to grow so did Carlton’s experience when in 2012 he was promoted to Machine Operator Leadman for the burning department. He found this role to be very rewarding. “A lot of the work we did was visible all over the city such as signs and ornamental designs.”
In 2021, after almost 10 years running the processing machines, Carlton was promoted again; this time to Processing Supervisor.
Current Day-to-day as Processing Supervisor
Carlton is now responsible for all of the processing and machinery at the Atlanta facility. He manages all the personnel and scheduling maintenance for the machines as well. He enjoys the challenges that come figuring out how to shift work around between processing centers, especially when machines are down for maintenance. “The fast paced environment keeps you on your toes and the guys respect someone that’s willing to get in the trenches with them.”
His role is more dynamic as well since he is a liaison between the processing department and the commercial team. Carlton has to ensure that everything keeps flowing smoothly through the shop to the trucks waiting to be loaded. Additionally he works with operations to continuously improve the safety and awareness for everyone in his department. “The emphasis on safety has made the warehouse and the equipment the operators use a much safer place to work and that goes a long way to promoting a good working environment.” He notes that the training on equipment and software was much more comprehensive than he ever had working with previous employers.
Carlton’s career has spanned more than 25 years and he continues to look towards the future with interest in managerial opportunities with Infra-Metals.
Join us on April 5th, 2022 to learn more about how Infra-Metals supplies fabricators with carbon structural steel throughout the project lifecycle. The Fabricator’s Manufacturers and Suppliers Event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg. Register for free to gain access to the latestproduction and manufacturing processes as well as network with attendees and industry professionals.
Keynote speakers include Mike Cowden – Steel Market Update and Stephanie Hoffman – UnderGround Metal Works. Download the event PDF here for more details.
Infra-Metals is the premier service center carrying the largest and most diverse inventory on-hand and available for immediate shipment. You will find everything from angles and merchant bars to wide flange beams, tubing and plate. Click here to review our catalog of products that we offer.
Additionally we offer many first stage processing services which allow you to take delivery and begin fabrication more quickly, saving you time and money. Click here to learn more about our processing services offered at many of our locations across the country.
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.
Carlton Williams is the Processing Coordinator for Atlanta, GA. Carlton found his way into the steel industry after working as a commercial driver for a transportation company.
