On the periodic table, “Fe” is the symbol for Iron, the most common element on Earth. At Olympic Steel, Fe is the symbol for Flawless execution, our way of recognizing employee excellence in helping our Company grow safely and profitably.

Each quarter, Olympic Steel employees are encouraged to nominate themselves or their co-workers to recognize projects and initiatives that accomplish at least one of the following objectives:

• Improve safety
• Control expenses
• Perform flawlessly for internal or external customers
• Share best practices across the enterprise

• Is the accomplishment outside the scope of the employees’ job duties?
• Did the project or initiative improve safety or reduce risk to our employees?
• Did the project or initiative save the company money? Can the savings be applied to other locations?
• Did the project or initiative increase productivity or improve a process/efficiency?

• Individuals and teams
• Full-time and part-time Employees at all locations and businesses under the Olympic Steel family of brands
• Not Eligible: General Managers and above, contractors/temporary employees and interns

Call your local HR Manager with questions. Though an employee or team may not be a candidate for a Flawless execution (Fe) Award, they may be well-suited for recognition through another Olympic Steel program or via local acknowledgement.

Olympic Steel – Minneapolis, MN (Plate): Michael Scales

• When running the beveller, steel chips build up in the wheels and gears of the machine, causing downtime and added expense for maintenance and replacement parts. Michael Scales, Mechanical Beveller Operator, recognized this problem and wanted to find a solution. He worked with the maintenance and continuous improvement departments to test a few ideas before choosing the most workable, cost-efficient solution: using air to blow the steel chips away from the wheels. After a test proved its effectiveness, Mike worked with maintenance to add magnetic air nozzles to the machine so the chips would be cleared automatically. After about 6 weeks, it’s estimated that adding the air hose will more than double the life of the wheels, saving at least $25,000 annually.
  
  

Olympic Steel – Schaumburg, IL: Jonathan Reyes

• Using automation to load and unload the laser cut sheets takes some time. Jonathan Reyes, Laser Operator, came up with an idea to reduce the time it takes the laser to load and unload sheets. The N Cell Computer controls the loading and unloading of the machine when the table is empty. The operator can use the N Cell to load another sheet which reduces the time the automation takes unloading cut parts. Unfortunately, the N Cell Computer is located too far away from the exit side of the pallet changer. Jonathan suggested they move the N Cell Computer to be closer to the exit side of the pallet changer, allowing the operator to load a sheet immediately after he manually clears the table. This allows the operator to cut down the time the automation uses. This change also makes the laser more user-friendly, saving time and money. Only using the partial of the automation to unload cut parts gives back 78 hours per year, equaling nearly $50,000 savings from eliminated downtime.
  
  

McCullough Industries – Kenton, OH: Jon Wilson

• The McCullough division uses a mounting jig to hold hoppers in place during the production process. On several occasions, a hopper has fallen off a mounting jig because the threaded rod holding the hopper in place is worn from daily use. One recordable and one near miss related to a hopper falling from the jig prompted the Safety team to complete a thorough investigation. Although not on the Safety team, Jon Wilson, Welder, was aware of the issue and developed a solution. He designed a latch that acts as a secondary safety device to ensure the hopper remains on the jig. This solution nearly eliminates the risk of the hopper falling from the jig.

The deadline for nominations is the last workday of each quarter. For 1Q 2025, the nomination deadline is Friday, March 28, 2025.

What is the Fe Award?

These are some of the questions asked by the selection committee to determine award eligibility whether the nomination should be classified as an Fe Award Winner or Honorable Mention:

Who is eligible for an Fe Award?

Do you have an outstanding employee, but you aren’t sure if what they did qualifies for an Fe Award? See below for a few examples of previous Fe Award winners.

Nominate yourself, your team or a colleague now – click here!

Still unsure?