Bob Dove - Where Are They Now?
Bob Dove, Operations Manager, McCullough Industries
Catching up with one of our previously featured IAM stories, Bob Dove shares some fun facts about himself and how his career continues to evolve at Olympic Steel.
As we head into our seventh year of sharing IAM Olympic Steel employee stories, we realized a good number of our previously featured employees have had big changes since their original story published. In between this year’s new employee stories, you’ll see some previously introduced employees in a feature called IAM Olympic Steel - Where Are They Now?
This month is Bob Dove, originally featured in 2020. From Quality Assurance Engineer/Safety Manager at Integrity Stainless in Streetsboro, OH to Operations Manager at McCullough Industries in Kenton, OH, we caught up with Bob to learn a little bit about his current role, which Core Value he best represents and a few fun tidbits that help you get to know him better.
Explain how you made the move into your current position. Was it part of an established career development plan or did you seek out the new role? Why?
In March 2012, I met Joe Casey while interviewing for a position at Integrity Stainless. We had the opportunity to work together for 7 years before Joe moved into the General Manager role at McCullough Industries. In 2021, almost 10 years later, my opportunity at McCullough Industries started with a phone call from Joe, asking if I’d be interested in making the move to become his new Operations Manager. I was excited about the opportunity, even though I struggled with moving away from family. I love what I do and look forward to many years with McCullough Industries.
Which of Olympic Steel’s 10 Core Values do you feel you best represent and why?
Employee Development – I have been working with all my Production Leads for over 2 years. I have witnessed their personal growth while taking on more responsibilities and accepting new challenges. We have had two leads win McCullough’s “Coach of the Year” award, showing our commitment to bring out the best in each of them. It’s rewarding to watch them make good decisions and effectively lead their departments. It helps to understand that when mistakes happen we learn from them and make changes to see improvement in the future.
Who has most significantly influenced your career?
Starting at a young age, I was influenced by my dad. He worked for LTV (currently Cleveland Cliffs) for 43 years. He left the coal mines of West Virginia to work as a General Laborer at LTV. He became one of the top Continuous Slab Caster Crane Operators and never missed a day of work! I remember him coming home with safety awards for most hours worked with no injuries and awards for no loss of production.
Describe your ideal weekend.
It’s late October/early November, with a slight north wind and the woods are just starting to wake up. The sun hasn’t quite shown her face, birds are starting to sing, and squirrels are coming out of their dens. I can hear something traveling in the leaves that gets my heart racing with anticipation. I’m sitting in a tree stand hunting the RUT! That’s a perfect weekend!
Where would you most like to travel and why?
Alaska. My wife and I love to take cruises and when we ask anyone about their favorite cruising destination we’re most often told its Alaska.
What advice do you have for others who might be interested in an open position within Olympic Steel that's different than their current path?
My advice is to keep an open mind and not be fearful of the unknown. I have now held four different positions at Olympic Steel, each introducing new challenges, and have not looked back with regret. Trust the support around you and don’t be afraid to walk through the doors being opened for you.
