Ladies Who Lead in Managing Our Materials

Just a few of the amazing team members we have keeping our material moving and supporting our customers.

Purchasing material, controlling inventory, scheduling production and so much more. That’s what these women, just a few of the many talented members of our team who manage our materials, do every day.

It’s essential to the efficient operation of our business and key to consistently meeting our customers’ expectations.

This month, we’d like to introduce four ladies who have taken the lead in Managing Our Materials.

Elizabeth Van Nieulande, Purchasing and Materials Manager, Berlin Metals – Hammond, IN

Elizabeth Van Nieulande began working for Berlin Metals 13 years ago as a Quality Assistant. She was responsible for developing and maintaining the Quality Management System (QMS), internal audits and third-party audits. Over the years, she began working with the Material Applications and Production Departments, applying material from inventory and helping to enter production orders. She also trained as backup for the Shipping Coordinator, adding to the many hats she already wore. Later, she was promoted to Quality Control Manager to handle all responsibilities related to managing the QMS.

At the beginning of 2020, Elizabeth was offered the Purchasing Manager role. She continued to work closely with the Material Applications and Production Departments – managing inventory and applying material to slit. With a comprehensive understanding of both areas, Elizabeth earned the Purchasing & Materials Manager position she holds today.

Elizabeth credits the growth of the organization, following Berlin’s acquisition by Olympic Steel, for providing new opportunities for her professional growth. That, and her Supervisor, Dan Harnois, General Manager – Berlin Metals.

“In all the 13 years I have been with the company, I would say Dan Harnois has had the biggest impact on my career. He was new to Berlin as our GM, and we needed to fill the Purchasing Manager position. Without a doubt, he supported me and took a chance on me, and I truly appreciate that.”

Elizabeth loves her job – even when challenges come her way. She notes, “Although the market for steel is crazy right now and everyone tells me they have never seen anything like it, it’s normal to me, as I have never been in this position. I am loving the challenge!“

As Mark Twain famously said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Elizabeth has found just that with Berlin Metals and Olympic Steel. She shares, “I absolutely love my job, and I always believe that’s the most important thing that you could ever accomplish in a career.”

Ivonne McCauley, Inventory Control Supervisor – Contract Accounts, Olympic Steel – Winder, GA

Born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, Ivonne McCauley graduated from college in the same city, then headed to the United States to begin a career in the metals industry. She started with stainless steel in Dallas, TX, then moved to Chicago, IL.

In her 28 years in the stainless industry, she worked in Sales Administration, Inside Sales Management, E-Commerce, Information Technology, Reporting and Analysis and Supply Chain Management. In 2018, she began working for Olympic Steel at the Schaumburg, IL division. After about a year, she moved to the Winder, GA division to handle specialty metals supply chain management with several major accounts.

Ivonne’s current responsibilities are critical elements of inventory control, including sales, quality assurance and customer relations.

“I really love working in Inventory Control, because I find it rewarding to see the process through purchasing, sales and the successful delivery of our products to the customer,” she explains.

She also enjoys working with her team and helping them completely understand our product mix and our customers’ expectations. Ivonne is a problem solver who looks for the best solutions to keep customers happy, ensuring they return to us for material when they need it.

When asked what she likes most about working in the metals industry, Ivonne reflected on her vast industry experience, then said, “I value the long-term relationships the most. Through these relationships, I’ve learned so much about our industry and that knowledge has helped me provide solutions to customers and coworkers.”

She enjoys the challenges her job presents because it gives her the opportunity to handle these situations professionally with her positive, can-do attitude. When Ivonne isn’t managing inventory processes, she likes to watch movies, read books, attend concerts, go to sporting events and travel.

Wendy Gunter, Service and Scheduling Manager, Olympic Steel – Winder and Buford, GA

In 1988, Wendy started her career in the metals industry as the receptionist at Southeastern Metal Processing. Almost 10 years later, Olympic Steel purchased SMP. In those 33 years, Wendy worked as Receptionist, Payroll, Accounting and Sales, before moving into her current role in Production Scheduling.

Of all those positions, Wendy enjoys her role as Service and Scheduling Manager the most. She explains, “I enjoy the challenge of meeting our customers’ expectations and delivering material on time.” It’s a different challenge each day, especially since the scheduling team handles the Winder, GA and Buford, GA divisions. Wendy takes pride in knowing that the scheduling team plays an important role in getting material to the customer on time.

“I learn something new each day,” Wendy says, when asked what she likes most about working in the metals industry. “Whether it’s a new piece of equipment that’s recently been installed or learning more about what our customers make with the product we ship to them, I find it all very interesting.”

Scheduling production and servicing our customers has inherent challenges. Wendy works through these challenges by keeping accuracy at the forefront of everything she does. “This could be applied to any department in any business,” she explains. “But I always try to think of the next person down the line. The job that I do has a direct impact on the plant, shipping and, ultimately, our customer. Taking the time to make sure our work is accurate will save time for everyone down the line.”

When she’s not keeping an eye on all things related to managing material in Winder and Buford, Wendy likes to unwind by taking time to enjoy her stained glass and glass fusing hobbies.

Jen Skala, Inventory Control and Scheduling Manager, Olympic Steel – Minneapolis, MN

Jen Skala began her Olympic Steel career in 2011 as Buyer. Two years later, she was promoted to Sr. Buyer, and in 2019, she moved into her current role – Inventory Control and Scheduling Manager.

For some, starting a career in the metals industry is about taking a job at the Company down the road and seeing how it goes. For Jen, it was already home.

Jen grew up on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota, and her dad worked for Northshore Mining (now Cleveland Cliffs). Jen considers joining the metals industry as “coming full circle.”

In fact, a sense of legacy is one of the things Jen likes best about the industry – the folks she’s met and spent so much time with along the way. She likes that it’s a career path people stick with.

She also enjoys the challenges of her role, which give her opportunities to work with other teams and get creative about making the process of servicing Olympic Steel’s customers as efficient as possible. She credits communication and taking time to enjoy the people around her and build strong relationships as keys to tackling any challenges thrown her way.

Jen also credits the Association for Women in the Metals Industry (AWMI) for the role the organization has played in her career. “I was the President of the AWMI Minneapolis Chapter. (Currently, I serve in the “Past President” role.) I have been a board member for over six years now. It’s a great way to meet people in the industry. It also provides so many opportunities to grow professionally.”

Elizabeth, Ivonne, Wendy and Jen are just a few members of our teams who are “all-in” when it comes to managing our material. Each of them understands the important role they play in our Company’s overall success.

The Leading Ladies feature kicked-off in December 2020 with Ladies Who Lead in Our Industry. That month, and each month since, we’ve featured employees who local leaders have identified as positive examples of the talented women building strong careers at Olympic Steel. It’s important to share stories that inspire others to keep working toward their goals and bringing different perspectives to their teams.

It’s not always easy to attract women to our industry. With these profiles, we hope to inspire the many talented ladies already on our team and encourage more to join Olympic Steel.

Know a leading lady who has an inspiring story to tell? Send your referral to CompanyCommunications@olysteel.com.