Metals USA's Daniel Dienst 'Bankruptcy is where you take your pain and this company has taken it'

Nov 17, 2002 | 08:15 PM | Tom Balcerek

Daniel Dienst is the new chairman of Metals USA Inc., but he doesn't want to be the center of attention.

There might be a couple of reasons for that. His job at the service center chain could be an interim position that will ultimately go to someone else when a new chief executive officer is selected--perhaps as early as next month. Furthermore, Dienst said he believes the fate of the company is largely in the hands of three senior vice presidents, which he referred to as a "service center Dream Team."

They are William R. Bennett, president of the plates and shapes group; Craig Doveala, president of the flat-rolled group; and Edward (Tom) Thompson, president of the building products group.

Bennett had been president of Metals USA subsidiary Levinson Steel Co. from 1990 to 1999. Doveala was the chief executive officer of one of Metals USA's original founding subsidiaries from 1997 to 2000. Thompson has served as president of Allmet Building Products Inc., another subsidiary, since 1995.....