EVRAZ North America Receives New Leadership, and a New Name
07/31/2025 - The new owner of EVRAZ North America has hired a former United States Steel Corporation executive to lead the business, which has been renamed the Orion Steel Companies.
Doug Matthews, who spent 33 years with U. S. Steel, succeeds Skip Herald, who had held the role since 2019 and guided the company through significant challenges. Herald will continue his service as a member of the board of directors.
“We were looking for the right leader to guide this business into its next chapter — someone with deep industry knowledge and a proven track record,” said Sam Astor, a partner of Atlas Holdings, the investment firm that acquired EVRAZ North America.
“Doug offers more than just decades of experience in operations, sales, marketing and supply chain management. He brings a forward-thinking, hands-on approach that helped transform U. S. Steel’s commercial strategy and operations, and he has the deep belief that the heart of this business is the people on the ground, running the mills day in and day out — and he works to empower them to perform at their best.”
Atlas announced in June that it was acquiring EVRAZ North America, which produces engineered steel products for the rail, energy, infrastructure and industrial end markets. The company includes Rocky Mountain Steel Mills in Pueblo, Colo.; Oregon Steel Mills in Portland, Ore.; and Interpro Pipe and Steel in Regina, Sask., and locations across Alberta, Canada.
Atlas said the acquisition has closed, and with that, the business has been renamed.
“This is a historic operation heading into a bold new chapter,” Matthews said in a statement. “We have a partner in Atlas with a stellar record in the United States and Canada of building great industrial companies over the long term. And Atlas is committed to ensuring we have the human and financial capital we need, and the strategic guidance, to achieve lasting success.”
Matthews said that as a well-capitalized strategic supplier, Orion Steel is poised to become a central player in the North American market, helping to ensure economic and security interests of the United States and Canada are advanced through significant, local production.
“I’ve seen the look in steelworkers’ eyes when they push an operation to new heights. We are going to see that same look from our team members across all Orion Steel facilities as we write the next chapter of this essential North American steelmaker,” he said.
Matthews retired from U. S. Steel in 2021 as its chief commercial and technology officer, tubular and mining solutions. He had been with U. S. Steel since 1988, beginning at the company’s Edgar Thomson Plant, just outside of Pittsburgh, Pa., USA.
“We were looking for the right leader to guide this business into its next chapter — someone with deep industry knowledge and a proven track record,” said Sam Astor, a partner of Atlas Holdings, the investment firm that acquired EVRAZ North America.
“Doug offers more than just decades of experience in operations, sales, marketing and supply chain management. He brings a forward-thinking, hands-on approach that helped transform U. S. Steel’s commercial strategy and operations, and he has the deep belief that the heart of this business is the people on the ground, running the mills day in and day out — and he works to empower them to perform at their best.”
Atlas announced in June that it was acquiring EVRAZ North America, which produces engineered steel products for the rail, energy, infrastructure and industrial end markets. The company includes Rocky Mountain Steel Mills in Pueblo, Colo.; Oregon Steel Mills in Portland, Ore.; and Interpro Pipe and Steel in Regina, Sask., and locations across Alberta, Canada.
Atlas said the acquisition has closed, and with that, the business has been renamed.
“This is a historic operation heading into a bold new chapter,” Matthews said in a statement. “We have a partner in Atlas with a stellar record in the United States and Canada of building great industrial companies over the long term. And Atlas is committed to ensuring we have the human and financial capital we need, and the strategic guidance, to achieve lasting success.”
Matthews said that as a well-capitalized strategic supplier, Orion Steel is poised to become a central player in the North American market, helping to ensure economic and security interests of the United States and Canada are advanced through significant, local production.
“I’ve seen the look in steelworkers’ eyes when they push an operation to new heights. We are going to see that same look from our team members across all Orion Steel facilities as we write the next chapter of this essential North American steelmaker,” he said.
Matthews retired from U. S. Steel in 2021 as its chief commercial and technology officer, tubular and mining solutions. He had been with U. S. Steel since 1988, beginning at the company’s Edgar Thomson Plant, just outside of Pittsburgh, Pa., USA.