Nucor, the largest steel producer and recycler in the United States, makes it a priority to recruit returning veterans. While part of Nucor Steel’s motivation is to support veterans who have sacrificed so much in service to our country, the primary reason is that the values instilled in military service members align very well with Nucor’s culture. The leadership skills, character and phenomenal work ethic of military veterans are important traits Nucor looks for in all of their teammates. Being part of a team is also important at Nucor – the employees must rely on each other to get the job done, and to get it done safely. Military veterans have learned this kind of teamwork in circumstances that makes the risks of a steel mill seem tame in comparison.

Nucor’s bar steel mill in Marion, Ohio employs approximately 250 teammates, and 35 of them are veterans. The jobs at mill in Marion and at other Nucor mills are high-quality, high-paying manufacturing jobs with an annual average salary of $75,000. These jobs helped build our country and sustain the middle class. Here are a couple of the veterans who are now employed at the Marion Nucor mill:

• Jason Allred was in the Air Force for 15 years working in electrical systems, and he now works in electrical maintenance for Nucor’s Melt Shop. Jason said, “With my electrical background, the recruiter matched me to Nucor. I already knew of Nucor by their reputation of hiring military veterans and taking care of their teammates. I knew I wanted to be a part of the team.” Jason also shared that “…the best part of this opportunity is that I am home with my family every night now. No more traveling or leaving my family for extended amounts of times.”
• Earl Passwaters entered the Army after high school and served as a sergeant in Europe and Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He is now a Tagger/Bander at Nucor. Reflecting back on his transition, Earl said, “I remember the anxiety I experienced when considering separation from the military. I wondered if I would be able to fit into the civilian job market, but I found many skills obtained through military training do transfer well to civilian business needs.”
• Keith Lyding served for six years in the U.S. Navy as an electrician’s mate and has been working at Nucor for 4.5 years as an electrician. “Nowhere else that I know of is there so much autonomy and trust placed in the workers here. I’m very glad I work here and have learned so much.”

Nucor’s support for servicemen and women isn’t limited just to veterans. When Nucor teammates are called to active duty, Nucor not only holds their job, but the company also supplements their military pay to match their Nucor salaries and extends their benefits while they are away.

Additionally, Nucor is proud to supply our armed forces with a wide variety of mission-critical steel products to keep military personnel safe while they are protecting us. For example, Nucor’s armor plate protects soldiers in armored vehicles, aircraft carriers, and submarines.

As Brenda Schulz, Controller at Nucor’s Marion division, said,

“It’s our honor to work with America’s service men and women. Nucor firmly believes that it is important for us to give something back – to help our servicemen and women find the same opportunities for themselves and their families.”

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