SDI Gives Credit to Columbus Facility for Helping Them Achieve Banner Year
COLUMBUS – Courtesy of The Dispatch
Mark Millet, CEO of SDI
SDI President and CEO Mark Millett recently reported that the company’s full-year net income had more than doubled from $446 million in 2016 to $803 million, while net sales increased from $7.8 billion to $9.5 billion in 2017. He singled out their Columbus facility as being a significant contributor to their improved bottom line.
“We continue to gain market share, especially at the Columbus flat roll division with our focus on automotive direct sales,” Millet said. “We, I think, shipped about 220,000 tons of automotive (steel) from Columbus just last year, which is a massive increase,” he added. “And we’re on platforms to increase that to about 400,000 tons over the next 18 months as new platforms come into play. Firstly, the capability of the mill down there and, then, we had a great team, I think is building confidence in the auto producers.”
“I think they’re doing a great job out there,” said Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders. “I think that new paint line they added has helped them out. Anytime you can touch steel and add something without moving it, you add value, which I think is probably what has happened. . .My first impression of (SDI) when they came in was pure relief,” Sanders continued. “They were more accessible than the Russians had been and understood us better. I think a lot of their success has to do with the work ethic of the workforce we have here in the South. They appreciate their employees and take care of them.”