Hi! Thanks for poppin’ in for a spell!
I’m a gal in a guy’s kinda world. I have been in some sort of steel distribution since oh… let’s just say it’s been more than a minute. I have managed to make a career in the oil patch here in big ol’ H-Town, starting in the accounting side of things, specifically receivables (“have cash, we do great work” as a very dear friend used to say).
In an odd turn of events, I landed as a purchasing assistant. It wasn’t because I had the vast knowledge of supply chain (THE most desired knowledge in the distribution world now). Nope, Kiddo’s, I knew how to attach files.
Yes. Drag and drop, Baby. Drag and Drop.
That skill, and the ability to tolerate one of the most irritable, difficult, hard to get along with individuals in the ENTIRE office–catapulted me where I am today. I owe my entire career to Pete Kapuza, a tall, lanky, cigarette smoking, no bullshit taking, don’t ask him the question if you REALLY don’t want the answer kinda guy.
Fast forward twenty years and here I am now. A buyer for a large steel distribution company in the United States. Imagine that! From drag and drop to actual replenishment of semi finished materials, price negotiation, reading material requirements to specifications, utilizing inventory to its most profitable potential, learning more about specific grades of material that I will NEVER have to answer again — I mean, really, is anyone really going to CARE about the influence of trace elements in hardening 416?
In a short answer-No. Nor will I ever be asked again to help find the Nickel to Chrome ratio ever in 300 series (shout out to my buds at Outokumpu).
I’ve found tho in the last several years, there is a gap of those in steel that have one to three years, maybe five years experience. Then there are those that have twenty, thirty and even more years experience. The gap in our industry is that there are few that have five to fifteen years experience. It is my goal that my posts can help those that have the few years get a smidge of information or knowledge that can make their day a bit easier.
Because work is hard enough, canigetta WOOHOO?!?!
Thanks for chattin’!
peg
My Wilde Fiefdom 