NEW Wire Rod and Wire Products Conference

Born on December 30, 1954, in Monterrey, N.L., Mexico

He attended Elementary and Junior High School in Monterrey, and High School in U.S.A. He enrolled at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN,, graduating as an Industrial Engineer in 1976.

He started working in 1976 at the family business Deacero with his father. Since then, Mr. Gutierrez has worked througout different departments of the company until he became CO-CEO, title he has shared for many years with his brother Sergio.

He has been and is in the board of directors of several banks and Industrial Companies in Mexico as well has business oriented and educational organizations in Mexico and the USA, such as Concamin, Caintra, Canacero, NCCEP, Tec De Monterrey, Steel Manufactures Association And American Iron And Steel Institute. He has been Vice President in Concamin and Presidente of Irpac (both business organizations) and president of Canacero (Mexico Steel Industry Organizatons). He is also the founder, promoter and president of the board of trustee of the newly formed Steel Museum Horno³, a science and technological center in Monterrey.

Stuart G. Hoffman is senior vice president and chief economist for The PNC Financial Services Group and serves as the principal spokesperson on all economic issues for PNC. Hoffman was recognized as the second most accurate economic and interest rate forecaster for 2006 by USA Today and as the most accurate forecaster for 2004 by BusinessWeek. In addition, he was named one of the top forecasters in the Wall Street Journal economic survey covering the 1988 to 2007 period.

Hoffman joined PNC in 1980 after a six-year tenure with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He became vice president and senior economist for PNC in 1987 and was elected senior vice president and chief economist in 1991.

Hoffman is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Barron’s. He is a regular guest on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and The Wall Street Journal Radio Report. He is regularly interviewed by the Associated Press and Reuter’s news wire services. He is often quoted in regional media such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Hoffman is a past president and a member of the board of directors of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). He also serves on the board of directors of the Economics Club of Pittsburgh - the local chapter of NABE. He is past chairman of the American Bankers Economic Advisory Committee.

Hoffman is a 1971 graduate of Pennsylvania State University. He received a master's degree in 1973 and a doctorate degree in economics in 1975, both from the University of Cincinnati, where he was a Charles Phelps Taft Memorial Fellow. In 2004, the University of Cincinnati honored him as a Distinguished Alumni.

Paul Biondi has spent forty years in the steel and metal forming industry. He has specialized in contract negotiations with steel mills and parts manufacturers in the United States, Japan and Europe. He currently lives in Fenton, Michigan with his wife Joyce. He has two grown daughters and three grandchildren.

Timothy Gill is Director, Economics, for NEMA/Business Information Services, the economics consulting and market research arm of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, where he is involved in all aspects of the group’s economic and industry analysis activities. Some of his current responsibilities include leading NEMA’s monthly Electroindustry Business Conditions Survey, its Electroindustry Economic Outlook subscription program, and its China economic research. He also oversees forecasting programs for NEMA’s lighting, motors, wire and cable, and industrial controls members, among others.

Tim has 14 years of experience in business economics and industry analysis and came to NEMA in 2003 from the American Petroleum Institute. He has also worked for the economic forecasting firm Global Insight. He holds a BA from John Carroll University and an MA in economics from Miami University.

Tony has 20 years of strategy consulting experience, mostly in the steel industry. He has worked with senior management teams, chief executive officers, and boards of directors to improve business performance through the development and implementation of competitive strategy, both at the business unit and corporate level. Although his client base is predominately North American, he has also worked with companies in Europe, South America and Asia. In addition to his work with senior managers of operating companies, Tony has acted as an advisor to private equity funds, hedge funds, unions, and governments.

Work Experience

1998-Present

First River Consulting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Founding partner of First River Consulting, a strategy consulting firm focused on steel and other capital intensive manufacturing industries.

1988 – 1998

Beddows & Company, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Principal Consultant, Co-Manager of Pittsburgh Office, Member Board of Directors

1985 – 1988

Mellon Bank, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

International Economist

Education

1985 MA (Economics), Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

1983 BA (Economics), Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA, USA

Other

•Speaker on topics of business unit & corporate strategy to industry & management conferences sponsored by American Metal Market, Metal Bulletin, Steel Business Briefing, and the Steel Manufacturers’ Association. A noted steel industry expert, Tony has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, and has appeared on CNBC.

Pete is a Vice President in the Diversified Manufacturing and Distribution Group of Macquarie Capital Advisors (USA). He has over 11 years experience in investment banking and corporate development, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, and financings, for a wide range of industries including automotive, distribution, metals, plastics and packaging, transportation and general manufacturing. Prior to joining Macquarie, Pete was a Director of Corporate Development at The Home Depot / HD Supply. He has also worked at several financial institutions including P&M Corporate Finance, KSA Capital Advisors, Heller Financial, and Citigroup. Pete has a B.B.A. in finance from the University of Iowa and a M.B.A. from The Eli Broad Business School at Michigan State University. Additionally, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder.

Mark began his career in 1974 as an electrical draftsman in the Pittsburgh construction engineering market before moving to the equipment supply side of the industry and becoming the Chief Engineer for electric arc furnaces at Mannesmann Demag from 1986 until 1994 when moved to Hoogovens technical services in 1994 as the Vice president of operations. Mark got back to the equipment supply side of the industry in 1998 as the Vice president & general manager of Danieli United at Danieli Mark became the Chairman & President of Danieli Corporation. In 2004 Mark Joined Nucor as the Manager of Technical Business development and in April of 2006 Mark became the General Manager of Nucor Steel Connecticut a new acquisition producing wire rod and mesh products. Mark also has responsibility for Nucor’s other mesh producing facility Nucor Wire Products Pennsylvania acquired in 2007.

As a Senior Consultant in the North American Steel Practice, Lynn Lupori-Gray has worked on a wide range of assignments covering specialty and commodity steels in long and flat products as well as steelmaking raw materials. The focus of most of her work has been in the areas of wire rod and wire products, MBQ and SBQ bar products, iron ore and coke. Her work has been wide ranging, but with particular interests in determining strategic growth opportunities for integrated and minimill steel producers as well as raw material producers. She has worked with both global and North American companies on issues of capital investment plans, marketing and competitive strategy. Ms. Lupori-Gray holds a BSBA from Duquesne University in International Business.

Richard is a veteran of the steel industry for thirty-eight years. He started in the steel industry with Republic Steel Corp, Cleveland, Ohio. After completing the Outside Sales Training course at Republic he was assigned to Youngstown, Ohio as an outside salesman. In 1979 he joined Atlantic Steel Company, Atlanta, GA. He held several managerial positions and became Vice President Sales and Marketing in 1987. 1998 he became General Manager Sales and Marketing, American Steel and Wire Division of Birmingham Steel, Cleveland, Ohio. He joined Keystone Steel & Wire in 2000 as National Sales Manager Wire Rods and became Vice President Sales and Marketing in 2001. Currently responsible for sales of Industrial Products (wire rods, coiled rebar and industrial wire)for Keystone Steel & Wire, Peoria, IL and HR Bar products for Keystone Calumet, Chicago Heights, IL.

Mike McCall began his career in the wire business in Savannah, GA, starting with National Wire Products in 1965. His career there took him to Atlanta where he served as Manager of National Wire’s Atlanta mesh operation. In 1975, Mike joined Ivy Steel & Wire of Jacksonville, Fl. He moved to Houston, TX to open a second plant for Ivy. In 1989, Ivy became part of MMI Products Inc., of Houston, TX, along with Merchants Metals and Meadow Burke Products.

Over the last 33 years with Ivy, Mike has held several positions becoming President in 2000. Today Ivy is one of the leading wire mesh companies in the United States with seven manufacturing plants in five states.

Mike lives with his wife Willene on Lake Conroe, TX. They have three children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Bill Michels is Chief Executive Officer of ADR North America LLC. Mr. Michels is also a partner of ADR Limited. Mr. Michels has a distinguished career in senior management with SCM Corporation, Smith Corona Typewriters, Durkee Famous Foods, Boise Cascade, Campbell Soup Company and Vlasic Foods.

Mr. Michels has consulted with global multi-national companies in regulated and non-regulated industries across a wide spectrum of business sectors and countries. His ability to deliver change process has led clients to increased profitability, enhanced staff competence and sustainable cost improvements beyond the departure of the consultants.

Strategic purchasing, cost and change management are Mr. Michels’ major focus, and he has also developed new methodologies and theories, practices and tools for the transformation of the supply chain, thus releasing incremental profitability and value to business.

Chris Stauffer has twenty-five years of diversified experience in procurement, financial management, sales, and marketing. Experience covers market segments dealing in wire manufacturing, rod and bar manufacturing and international steel trading.

His current responsibilities include wire rod scheduling and procurement for Insteel’s six wire drawing/fabricating plants. Sourcing for these plants comes from both domestic and international wire rod manufacturers. Additionally, he has oversight for outbound wire products shipments from the individual plants and other procurement duties for products and consumables used in the rod to wire conversion process.

Ted Thielens is currently Vice President Commercial for Republic Engineered Products with responsibility for all sales, marketing and production planning activities.

He is a graduate of Lehigh University, where he received a bachelor of science degree in finance.

Mr. Thielens began his career with Jones & Laughlin Steel as a sales management trainee in the Chicago District Sales Office in 1980. His subsequent assignments have included field sales representative, product manager, marketing manager, regional sales manager, general manager of marketing and vice president of sales and marketing.

He is a member of AISI, MSCI and FIA.

Ted and his wife, Karen reside in Massillon, Ohio with their two children; Jamie and Allie

As a Managing Consultant in the North American Steel Practice, Howard Booth has worked on a wide range of steel assignments covering both specialty and commodity steels in long and flat products. The focus of his recent work has been in the areas of merchant bar, SBQ products, wire rod and wire products.

His work has been wide ranging, but with particular interests in determining strategic growth opportunities for both integrated and minimill steel producers. He has worked with both global and North American manufacturers on issues of capital investment plans, marketing and competitive strategy.

Howard Booth joined Hatch Consulting in 1989. Mr. Booth holds a MBA from Duquesne University.

Money & Politics Editor, KDKA-TV

Columnist, Pittsburgh Business Times

Contributor, Pittsburgh Magazine

Adjunct Professor of Public Policy & Politics, Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School

Think of a well-recognized, award-winning analyst in Pennsylvania who combines years of “inside experience” on Capitol Hill with the perspective of the private sector and life outside the Washington Beltway, and one name leads the list: Jon Delano.

After 14 years on Capitol Hill in Washington and about the same number of years on local television, Jon Delano has developed a solid reputation as the guy in Pennsylvania to turn to for even-handed on-air analysis of political and governmental events and for a quick quip or sound bite on what exactly it all means to the average citizen. A political analyst for KDKA-TV (CBS) since 1994, Jon became the station's first Money & Politics Editor in September 2001. In addition to daily reporting on government, politics, and economic issues, he also hosts a Sunday morning public affairs program called “The Sunday Business Page.”

As one of Pennsylvania's respected commentators, Jon is recognized for his ability to analyze complex issues and make them understandable to any audience. Having worked in both government and the private business world, practiced law, reported on radio and television, written extensively, and taught at the graduate school level, Jon's combined experiences allow him to speak with some authority about governmental, political, and economic issues.

Jon reported from both the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions in 1996, 2000, and 2004. At the two 2004 conventions, Jon and his photographer wrote and produced 36 different TV stories in ten days. Already this year he has had several one-on-one TV interviews with the presidential candidates.

A trial lawyer by training, Jon worked behind the scenes as chief of staff to former Congressman Doug Walgren, serving as president of the U.S. House Chiefs of Staff Association in the mid-1980s. His firsthand Washington experience led to his appointment in 1995 as an adjunct professor of politics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University's H. John Heinz School of Public Policy & Management. His graduate school courses include such topics as money and politics, legislative policy making, public policy implementation, media and public policy, and campaign management. Jon also writes a monthly column for the Pittsburgh Business Times and is a contributing writer to Pittsburgh Magazine.

In 2003, Jon was presented the “Good Government Award” from the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh for his work in helping the public understand governmental issues. In 2007, he won the Small Business Journalist Champion of the Year Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. He has won two Golden Quill awards, two Robert L. Vann awards from the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, a Matrix honorable mention from the Women in Communications, and the Clarity Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association for being a lawyer who can write in plain English.

Jon is recognized statewide as a frequent guest on Pennsylvania Cable Network’s “Journalists Roundtable,” and is heard often on KDKA Radio, the nation’s first station to broadcast election returns in the 1920 presidential race. He appears frequently on Marty Griffin’s talk show on KDKA Radio, and he was also heard every Friday morning on WPTT Radio with Lynn Cullen in a segment called “The Political Grapevine with Jon Delano.”

A graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh (Year V), Jon is a frequent lecturer to subsequent classes. Jon’s law colleagues have elected him three times to the Board of Governors of the Allegheny County Bar Association (1999, 2002, and 2007). He has served on many non-profit boards and is currently on the board of directors of the Magee Womens Hospital Research Institute. He is also active in his church as a lay Eucharistic minister and serves on its governing board.

Jon moderates and facilitates seminars, candidate debates, and programs and speaks on governmental and political issues to many civic, business, and labor groups. His reputation as an even-handed, non-partisan political analyst has led to his selection as a moderator and panelist for many candidate debates, including statewide debates between Ed Rendell and Lynn Swann (PA Governor, 2006), Ed Rendell, Mike Fisher, and Bob Casey (PA Governor, 2002), Bob Casey and Rick Santorum (U.S. Senate, 2006), and Rick Santorum and Ron Klink (U.S. Senate, 2000) and local debates for Mayor of Pittsburgh, Congress, and the PA General Assembly.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Jon and his wife Jane and their two children live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

Hank Cox has worked the Washington scene as a journalist, free lance writer, editor and communications expert for 35 years. He served 18 years with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1980-1997) as a manager of regulatory issues, legislative manager, media expert and chief speech writer. Prior to his association with the NAM, Hank served as Public Affairs Officer for the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). “Two weeks after I arrived, the CBO announced the first federal budget surplus in 29 years,” Hank says. “Two weeks after I left, the CBO announced return to red ink. A coincidence? Perhaps.”

Hank is responsible for translating the NAM’s complex issues into clear language and conveying the information to the news media, members and the public. He works closely with NAM President John Engler, the former three-term governor of Michigan, and is frequently quoted in major news outlets.

Noted for his dry wit and irreverent observations of the Washington scene, Hank’s free lance articles and stories, mostly in a humorous vein, have appeared in The Washingtonian, Regardie’s, The Annapolitan, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and other publications. His short story, “The Secret Sin of Nathan Embry,” won the $5,000 first prize in the 1989 Regardie’s fiction contest. He was ghost author, duly credited in the acknowledgements, of “Meltdown On Main Street: Why Small Business Is Leading the Revolution Against Big Government,” by Dr. Richard Lesher, former President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, published by Dutton in 1996.

Hank has recently authored a book, “Abraham Lincoln and the Sioux Uprising of 1862,” published in 2005 by Cumberland House Publishers in Nashville, TN. This account of how Abraham Lincoln handled the bloodiest Indian massacre in the history of North America is available in book stores and online.

Hank is married to Cheryl Jaksich Cox of Perth, Australia. They have two daughters, Rachel and Sarah, and live in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Kurt Fowler is the managing director of SteelFacts, which he helped start in 2003 to serve the steel industry and its participants.

SteelFacts was formed to present iron and steel industry statistics in an easy-to-use, powerful analysis tool to assist participants in making effective, timely, data driven decisions about the market from sound analysis of past history and recent trends. SteelFacts is the exclusive distributor of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) industry data. www.steelfacts.com

Kurt has over 8 years experience in the steel industry. His previous experience includes roles with Deloitte Consulting and Hatch Consulting which involved him in information technology, strategy and financial consulting.

Kurt is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a BA degree in political science. He also attended the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh where he earned both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Science in the Management of Information Systems (MS-MoIS).

THOMAS A. DANJCZEK joined the Steel Manufacturers Association as President in February 1998. The SMA consists of 35 North American companies that operate 128 steel plants, and employ approximately 60,000 people. The SMA is the primary trade association for scrap-based electric arc furnace steelmakers, representing approximately 70 % of the steel produced in the US. The SMA has 141 associate members that supply goods and services to the steel industry.

Prior to the SMA, Mr. Danjczek was an executive with Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation. He joined Wheeling as General Superintendent - Steelmaking in 1983. Since 1991, he held senior management positions, including President - Mingo Oxygen Company, Director - Business Improvement, General Manager - Steubenville Plants, General Manager - Primary Operations and Hot Bands, and General Manager - Quality and Technology. From 1970 to 1983, he was a manager with Bethlehem Steel Corporation and Kaiser Steel Corporation.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Villanova University and a master’s degree in industrial management at Purdue University. He participated in the University of Michigan Executive Management Program.

Jim Kerkvliet serves as Gerdau Ameristeel’s Vice President of Commercial Sales. In this role, he is responsible for all domestic mill sales operations, international commercial sales operations and commercial marketing.

Mr. Kerkvliet has over 20 years experience in the international Steel realm and vast knowledge of international and North American sales strategy. He has held various senior leadership positions throughout his career and prior to becoming Vice President Mr. Kerkvliet served as general manager for Gerdau Ameristeel’s downstream non-fabrication operations. Before coming to Gerdau Ameristeel he worked within the leadership of such companies as Cargill Ferrous International and Cargill Steel & Wire as well as holding regional sales responsibilities for North Star Steel.

Mr. Kerkvliet received his undergraduate degree from the College of St. Thomas in Marketing Management.

Walt Robertson graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Economics in 1968. He joined the Bethlehem Steel Management Training Program (Loop Course) that same year and spent just over 10 years with Bethlehem, many of those as a Rod and Wire Products Specialist. Mr. Robertson joined Co-Steel as part of their start up management team for the Paritan River Rod Mill project in 1979 and spent four years there as a Regional Sales Manager. Mr. Robertson then joined Ivaco as their first US Sales Manager for Wire Rod in 1983. Mr. Robertson then co-founded American Steel and Wire in 1986 where he was Executive VP and the President and COO over the next ten years. In 1989, he completed a management Development Program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Mr. Robertson left AS&W (then Birmingham Steel) to join GC Industries in 1996. He served as Senior VP for the Charlotte, NC based company that owned and operated rod and wire assets including, Georgetown Steel, GST Steel, Tree Island and Florida Wire and Cable. Since late 1998, Mr. Robertson has been President of Johnstown Wire Technologies. He is also currently serving as President of the American Wire Producers Association. Mr. Robertson is marries, has two grown children and three grandchildren.