 | Chapter chair Andy Seibel (left) congratulated past chair Nick Bucci (right) for his service during his term as chair (2019–2022). |
Annual Meeting — October 2023
The Southeast Member Chapter held their annual meeting 22–24 October 2023 at The Marina Inn at Grand Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C., USA. In addition to the meeting, the 75 attendees enjoyed the view of the racetrack that was adjacent to the hotel property. The 75 attendees networked amongst the vendor displays at the welcome reception. On Monday, 23 October, the day was filled with technical presentations and discussions. Presentations: “Nucor Steel–Berkeley’s Vacuum Tank Degasser Water Conservation Project,” Glenn Aker, Nucor Steel–Berkeley. “Industrial Air Conditioner for Steel Mill Application: Design and Selection Based on Economics and Sustainability,” Ted Smith, FrigorTec LP. “Gerdau Petersburg EAF/Shaft Retrofit Project,” Jorge Valadares and Flavio Santos, Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill. “Electrode Ceramic Coatings Trial — The Good, the Bad, and the Things We Never Expected to Learn,” Pedro Quiroga, EAFab Corp., and Greg Odenthal, ITC Ceramics. “Demystifying Crane Automation: Understanding the Capabilities and Workarounds,” Franco La Bruna, Janus Automation. “From Walking on the Moon to Woodstock to Nucor’s First EAF-Based Mill in 1969, the USA Steel Industry Continues to Evolve and Grow Greener,” Becky E. Hites, Steel-Insights LLC. “Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks — Retrofit to Personless Deck EAF Operation,” Patrick Quiney, Nucor Steel–Hertford County. “The Value of Manufacturing Experience for Undergraduate Students,” Alan Druschitz, Camden Holloway and Victoria Rambo, Virginia Tech.
A keynote presentation by David Miracle, general manager of environmental affairs, Nucor Corp., capped off the dinner on Monday evening. The event concluded with an informative plant tour of Nucor Steel–South Carolina for the 50 attendees. The Southeast Member Chapter appreciates the sponsors, vendors, presenters and attendees who made the annual meeting a success. The chapter extends a special thanks to Nucor Steel–South Carolina for hosting the plant tour. |
 | Attendees from the Southeast Member Chapter meeting toured Nucor Steel Florida Inc. on 13 September 2022. |
Annual Meeting — September 2022
The Southeast Member Chapter held their annual meeting 11–13 September 2022 at The Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel in Sebring, Fla., USA. In addition to the meeting, the 83 attendees enjoyed the view of the racetrack that was adjacent to the hotel property. The attendees, including 18 students from Georgia Southern University, networked at the vendor fair and welcome reception.
The agenda on Monday, 12 September 2022, was filled with technical presentations and discussions. The day was brought to a close with a keynote presentation by Drew Wilcox, vice president and general manager, Nucor Steel Florida Inc.
The event concluded with an informative plant tour at Nucor Steel Florida Inc. for the attendees. The Southeast Member Chapter appreciates the sponsors, vendors, presenters and attendees who made the annual meeting a success. The chapter extends a special thanks to Nucor Steel Florida Inc. for hosting the plant tour.
Presentations: “Thor’s Hammer: Development of a Bimetal Composite Casting With Ductile Iron and Steel,” by Mingzhi Xu, Georgia Southern University. “Nucor Steel Florida – Construction and Operations,” by Tommy Massey, Nucor Steel Florida Inc. “BOF Meltshop Improvement — The Impact of Improved BOF Offgas Evacuation Hood Design at Cleveland-Cliffs Riverdale,” by Mukund Ravindran, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., and Pedro Quiroga, EAFab Corp. “Electrode Ceramic Coatings — Improving Electrode Consumption by Minimizing Electrode Oxidation,” by Pedro Quiroga, EAFab Corp., and a representative from ITC Coatings. “Innovation, Investment and Infrastructure Spending Driving Growth in the Steel Industry,” by Becky E. Hites, Steel-Insights LLC. “SDI Heartland Temper Mill Main Drive Bottom Roll Replacement,” by Tom Richards, TMEIC Corp. Americas. “Robotics Tagging Solutions,” by Gianluca Maccani, Polytec USA. “New Roughing Stand Commission,” by Patrick Peek, Gerdau Long Steel North America Cartersville Mill. “Automation Opportunities in the Mill,” by Chris McCulley, Deshazo Crane Co.
 | Southeast Member Chapter officers and students from Georgia Southern University welcomed Nucor Steel Florida Inc.’s Drew Wilcox as the keynote speaker at the chapter’s annual meeting in Sebring, Fla., USA, on 12 September 2022. |
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Annual Meeting — October 2019
The Southeast Member Chapter held its annual meeting 27–29 October 2019 at The Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Va., USA. The event began on a picturesque fall morning among the Blue Ridge Mountains for the 18 golfers at Blue Hills Golf Club. Following the golf outing, 73 attendees networked at the vendor fair and welcome reception. On Monday, 28 October, the day was filled with technical presentations and roundtable discussions. The following technical presentations were given: “Review of Mill Safety Program,” by Michael Miller, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Roanoke Bar Division. “Nucor Crawfordsville Cold Mill Modernization,” by Tom Richards, TMEIC Corp., and Jason Price, Nucor Steel–Indiana. “Nucor Berkeley Caster Widening Project — The Challenges of Maintaining a Normal Schedule While Changing Out the Equipment From Top to Bottom,” by Glenn Aker, Nucor Steel–Berkeley. “Synchronized Real-Time Analysis of Video Data and Measurement Data for a Holistic View of Steel Production,” by David Kober, iba America LLC. “Energy Use and Carbon Dioxide Production in Steelmaking: Calculations and Assumptions,” by Thomas P. Battle, Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. “EAF Explosions, A Deadly but Preventable Problem,” by Nick Zsamboky, Systems Spray-Cooled. “Recession? Armageddon? The Destruction of Capitalism? The End of Life on Planet Earth? Discerning Truths Amidst Hyperbole,” by Becky E. Hites, Steel-Insights LLC. “Unifuse® Inconel Overlay 625 Vs A106B Carbon Steel Pipe Comparison,” by Chris Hawk, AZZ. Vendor/producer roundtable discussing mill issues: Chapter chair Becky E. Hites, and Chapter vice chair Nick Bucci, Nucor Steel–Hertford County.
A dinner with a keynote presentation by Jerry Adams, vice president and general manager, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Roanoke Bar Division, was held on Monday evening. The event concluded with an informative plant tour at Steel Dynamics Inc. for the 39 attendees. The Southeast Member Chapter appreciates the sponsors, vendors, presenters and attendees who made the annual meeting a success. The chapter extends a special thanks to Steel Dynamics Inc. – Roanoke Bar Division for hosting the plant tour. |
 | Michael Hutson (left) presented Kyle Lysitt (right) with a plaque of appreciation for hosting the tour of Nucor Steel–Hertford County. |
Annual Meeting – October 2018
The AIST Southeast Member Chapter held its annual meeting on 14–16 October 2018 at the Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel in Portsmouth, Va., USA. The meeting kicked off on Sunday, 14 October, with a golf outing at Riverfront Golf Club. Following the golf outing, 70 attendees networked at the vendor fair and welcome reception.
On Monday, 15 October, the day was filled with technical presentations. As part of the program, for the first time, the chapter incorporated a producer-only roundtable discussion in the morning, followed by one in the afternoon that included both vendors and producers. The following presenters spoke: Donald Theune, Donnic Consulting, presented “Changing Unsafe Attitudes and Behaviors.” Greg Moore, CMC Steel Oklahoma, gave an overview of his facility. Justin Zwick, CMC Steel Arizona, presented “EAF Optimization.” Chad Trent and David Thomas, MINTEQ International, gave a presentation titled “Refractory Laser Measurements for Furnace and Ladle Applications.” Tom Richards, TMEIC, spoke on Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Butler Division’s galvanizing line upgrade. Pat Quiney, Nucor Steel–Hertford County, spoke on lime and carbon system upgrades at the facility. Rafael Coura Giacomin, Carnegie Mellon University, presented “Investigation of Slab Cracking in Third-Generation Advanced High-Strength Steels” Chris Machut, Netarus, presented “Human Impact of Visual Aid Technologies With Steel Facilities.”
In addition, James F. Dudek, 2018–2019 AIST president and vice president — Asset Revitalization and Manufacturing Excellence, United States Steel Corporation, gave a presentation titled “The State of the Industry and U. S. Steel’s Asset Revitalization Program.”
Dinner with a keynote presentation by Bob McCracken, vice president and general manager, Nucor Steel–Hertford County, capped off the dinner on Monday evening. The event concluded with an instructive plant tour and lunch at Nucor Steel–Hertford County.
The Southeast Member Chapter appreciates the sponsors, vendors, presenters and attendees who made the annual meeting a success. The chapter especially thanks Nucor Steel–Hertford County for hosting the plant tour. |
 | Southeast Member Chapter vice chair Becky Hites (right), Steel-Insights LLC, presented a plaque of appreciation to Josh Robinson (left) and Gustavo Rodrigues (center), Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill, for hosting the plant tour on 18 October 2017. |
Annual Meeting — October 2017
The AIST Southeast Member Chapter held its annual meeting 16–18 October 2017 at The Westin Richmond in Richmond, Va., USA. The meeting kicked off on Monday, 16 October, with a chilly morning on the golf course at Hunting Hawk Golf Club. Following the golf outing, 85 attendees networked at the vendor fair and welcome reception. On Tuesday, 17 October, the following technical presentations were given: “Robotic Solution Increases Safety and Reduces Cost: A Gerdau Petersburg Case History,” by Gianlucca Maccani, BM Group, and Gustavo Rodrigues, Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill. “Modernization of the Nucor Steel–Decatur Temper Mill,” by J.C. Fernandez, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC, and Tom Richards, TMEIC. “Implementation of Praxair’s Fluidic Burner for Multi-Directional Flames in an EAF,” by Joe Maiolo, Praxair. “PTI Jet Box Burners in Nucor Steel–Hertford County’s EAF,” by Hugo Sevcik, Nucor Steel– Hertford County. “Fifty Shades of Gray: Virginia Is for Lovers; Steel Is for Masochists,” by Becky E. Hites, Steel-Insights LLC. “The Value of Collaborating in 3D,” Jerrod Bolz, Falk PLI, and Pedro Quiroga, EAFab. “Mill Audit: An Essential Key to Unlock Hidden (or Lost) Mill Potential,” by Bryan Beard, TMEIC. “The Day We Will Remember,” by Ricky Rollins, Ricky Rollins Safety Speeches LLC.
A dinner with a keynote presentation by Jim Christina, vice president and general manager, Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill, was held on Tuesday evening. The event concluded with an informative plant tour and lunch at Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill.
The Southeast Member Chapter appreciates the sponsors, exhibitors, presenters and attendees who made the annual meeting a success. The chapter especially thanks Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill for hosting the plant tour.
 |  |  | | 1. The rain held off and golfers were able to enjoy a great day on the golf course at Hunting Hawk Golf Club at the Southeast Member Chapter annual meeting on Monday, 16 October 2017. 2. John Schlobohm (left), Chelsea Kovanda (center) and Jeff Allen (right), American Chemical Technologies, worked their table at the vendor fair at the Southeast Member Chapter annual meeting in Richmond, Va., USA. 3. The vendor fair was a good opportunity for attendees to network (left to right): Lucien Rainville and Martin Henderson, Hubbell Industrial Controls; Scott Hutson and Mike Hutson, John Hutson Co.; and Johannes Karcher, FrigorTec. |  |  | | 4. Attendees from the host plant, Gerdau Long Steel North America Petersburg Mill, enjoyed Jim Christina’s keynote presentation on 17 October 2017 in Richmond, Va., USA (left to right): Tim Smith, Marcos Burger, Christina and Dana Warren. 5. Southeast Member Chapter chair and AIST Board of Directors representative Kyle Lysitt (right), Nucor Steel–Hertford County, presented a plaque to Jim Christina (left) for his keynote address. |
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| |  | | | The winning foursome at the Southeast Member Chapter annual golf outing won with a score of 57 (left to right): Ray Evans, Jackie Helms, Jeff Johnson and Roy Thompson from Nucor Steel–South Carolina. |
Annual Meeting — November 2015
The Southeast Member Chapter held its annual meeting on 16–18 November 2015 in conjunction with the AIST Leadership Conference at The Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, S.C., USA. A recap of the Leadership Conference can be found on pages 86–89 of this issue. A golf outing got the event under way on Monday, 16 November, with 49 participants. The activities continued with a welcome reception and vendor fair that evening.
On Tuesday, 17 November, the following technical presentations were given: “The Three Ps of Safety: Prevention, Participation and Personal Responsibility,” by Jerry Herrmann, Nucor Steel–Berkeley. “Safety, More Than a Meeting,” by Glenn Aker, Nucor Steel–Berkeley. “From Concept to Construction — CMC Steel South Carolina Billet Welder,” by Tom Smith, CMC Steel South Carolina. “Rolling With R Factors,” by Curt Beerman, CMC Steel South Carolina. “Implementation of EMS on the EAF at SDI Roanoke,” by Mike Meador, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Roanoke Bar Div. “Re-Power of the Nucor Decatur Tandem Cold Mill,” by Tom Richards, TMEIC Corp., and J.C. Fernandez, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC. “Start-Up and Commissioning of the DRI Handling System for Nucor Hertford’s EAF,” by Sergio Guzmán, Francesco Memoli and Kyle Shoop, Tenova Core. “Utilizing 3D Modeling in Equipment Upgrades,” by Pedro Quiroga, EAFab Corp. “Flow Resistance in the Baghouse (Filter Drag). How It Affects Airflow, Fan Performance and Fan Energy Consumption on a Steel EAF Plant,” by Louis Raath, W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. “Insulation Life Diagnostics for Large Industrial Motors,” by Ron Tessendorf, TMEIC Corp. “Keeping Your Steel Mill Running Optimally With Wireless Devices, Trending and Alerting,” by Sam Matson, CMC Steel Texas. “Big Data: The Next Frontier for Technological Innovation, Competition and Productivity,” by Bill Crosby, Falk-PLI. “Bar Code Identification of SDI Bars,” by Dave Anderson, Infosight Corp. “Shale Gas: What’s Hot, What’s Not and What’s Under the Radar,” by Rick Preckel, Preston Publishing. “Steelnado Ending — Will Reduced Imports Save the Day for 2016?” by Becky E. Hites, Steel-Insights LLC.
Following the presentations, a dinner was held, highlighted by a keynote address from Nucor Steel–Berkeley’s maintenance and engineering manager, Jason Curtis. On Wednesday, 18 November, attendees toured the Nucor Steel–Berkeley facility.
This year’s meeting had more than 100 participants and there were 26 exhibiting companies. The Southeast Member Chapter thanks the sponsors, exhibitors, presenters and attendees who make this event a success each year. The chapter thanks Nucor Steel–Berkeley for hosting the plant tour.  | The annual Southeast Member Chapter meeting concluded with a plant tour of Nucor Steel–Berkeley on 18 November 2015. |
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AIST Foundation Donation for Scholarship Fund
The Southeast Member Chapter executive committee has decided to establish a scholarship fund within the AIST Foundation with a US$50,000 donation. The AIST Matching Funds Program will match the donation, bringing the total beginning balance of the scholarship fund to US$100,000. The funds will ensure that the Southeast Member Chapter’s Gene Suave Scholarship continues for many years to come. Currently, the chapter awards US$3,500 per year to a student in their local chapter area who is pursuing a career in engineering or the sciences. |
Annual Meeting — September 2014
The Southeast Member Chapter hosted its annual meeting on 21–23 September 2014 at the Hilton Columbia Center Hotel in Columbia, S.C., USA. A golf outing kicked off the event on Sunday, 21 September, with 35 participants, followed by a welcome reception and vendor fair that evening. On Monday, 22 September, there were 12 technical presentations, representing Nucor Steel–Birmingham, Carbide Industries LLC, CMC Steel Alabama, Steel-Insights LLC, TMEIC Corp., Midrex Technologies Inc., CMC Steel South Carolina, Nucor Steel–Berkeley, Chemtreat, Nucor Steel–Hertford County and Nucor Steel–South Carolina. Following the technical sessions, dinner was held, featuring a keynote presentation by Steve Henderson, vice president, east region, CMC Steel Americas. On Tuesday, 23 September, attendees toured the CMC Steel South Carolina facility in Cayce, S.C., USA. There were 105 participants at this year’s event and 18 company participants in the vendor fair. Many thanks to the sponsors, exhibitors, presenters and attendees who make this event a success each year — and a special thank-you to CMC Steel South Carolina for hosting the event. |
Annual Meeting — October 2013
The AIST Southeast Member Chapter hosted its annual meeting on 13–15 October 2013 at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., USA. A golf outing kicked off the event on Sunday, 13 October, with 40 participants, followed by a welcome reception and vendor fair that evening. On Monday, 14 October, 12 technical presentations were given by representatives from: CMC Steel South Carolina, Nucor Steel–Hertford County, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Roanoke Bar Div., KBR As-Built Services, Hyson Industrial, Nucor Steel–Berkeley, GrafTech International, SSAB North American Div. – Mobile, Midrex, Steel- Insights LLC, TMEIC and Nucor Steel–South Carolina. Following the technical presentations, dinner featured keynote speaker Rex Query, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel–South Carolina. At the dinner, the 2013 Southeast Member Chapter’s Outstanding Service Award was presented to Southeast Member Chapter papers chair Paul Jordan of Ocmet Inc. Jeffrey Johnson of Nucor Steel–South Carolina was also presented with a plaque of appreciation for his service as Southeast Chapter chair. On Tuesday, 15 October, attendees toured Nucor Steel–South Carolina in Darlington, S.C. There were more than 100 participants at this year’s event, and 23 companies participated in the vendor fair. The Southeast Member Chapter thanks the sponsors, exhibitors, presenters and attendees who make this event a success each year — and a special thank-you to the plant tour host, Nucor Steel–South Carolina. |
Annual Meeting — October 2012
The Southeast Member Chapter annual meeting was held 14–16 October 2012 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Va. The event kicked off on Sunday, 14 October with a golf outing, which had 19 golfers. That evening, attendees gathered for a welcome reception and vendor fair with 25 exhibiting companies.
On Monday, 15 October, the 85 conference attendees enjoyed technical presentations and networking. Technical presentation topics included: “Dirt Reduction in Charge Scrap,” “Flow Distribution Analysis in Water Cooled Components Design Process,” “Improvement in Sampling Process Precision by Means of an Inert Atmosphere Sampling System at ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor East No. 2 Steel Producing,” “Mechanical Condition Monitoring and Analysis Applications in the Steel Industry,” “Evolution of Hydrogen Removal at Nucor Hertford,” “The Journey to Improve Billets Between Cobbles,” “How to Stop Nuts and Bolts From Loosening,” and an update on the 2011–2012 Don B. Daily Memorial Fund Grant to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: “Fall Prevention Systems for Flatbed Trailers.” The Monday evening reception and dinner welcomed 95 attendees and featured a keynote presentation by Robert McCracken, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel–Hertford County. Also at the dinner, the 2012 Southeast Member Chapter Outstanding Service Award was presented to Bob Buchanan for his dedicated service to the chapter and its executive committee. The award was presented as a surprise from the committee.
On Tuesday, 16 October, attendees from the meeting took a tour of the Nucor Steel–Hertford County facility. |
