Branch Spotlight: Mexico

Located in Monterrey, the Kloeckner Metals Mexico branch is unique. Unlike most competitors in Mexico, Kloeckner Mexico offers aluminum and stainless in addition to ferrous steel.  They have 2 lines, a 60” slitter and a 60” cut-to-length. They work largely in flat-rolled, including pre-paint, galvanized, and galvannealed, but they are currently expanding their capabilities.

“We are going to start doing plate soon,” said General Manager Roberto Mercado. “Our first load of plate will be delivered next week. “

The team at the branch is very young, with an average age in the early 30s. Despite the youth, there is a lot of experience on the team. Roberto, for example, has been in the steel industry for 20 years. They like to keep a casual atmosphere, celebrating birthdays and other events. Turnover is low, and everyone enjoys the work environment. Even though they try to be laid back, however, everyone at the branch is a hard worker.

“This is because Monterrey is very industrial and large city,” said Roberto. “There is about a population of 5 million people, one of the largest in Mexico – people were taught to work hard here. It’s part of the culture.”

Management at the Mexico branch tries to be firm and fair. The team is talented and has created a friendly environment and work culture. The three keys to success at the branch are safety, quality, and delivery. Safety is the most important, and the branch has a great track record in this area. Producing quality products and providing quality service means making sure that things are done right the first time. Reliable, on-time delivery is also extremely important to satisfying customers’ high expectations. Kloeckner Mexico continually tries to find new ways to improve in these and other areas.

“Our staff recently participated in a program to find wasted time in our production lines, they found out how to reduce coil and skid change time,” Roberto said. “These guys took it upon themselves and it was very intuitive.”

The work environment at the Mexico branch is both fun and exciting. Everyone on the team is very dedicated. Every day presents new challenges and experiences. Anyone looking to join the team will certainly have no problem keeping busy.

“You are going to learn a lot,” Roberto said. “You are not going to be bored. There is a lot to do all the time.”