Scott Ginter: From Intern to Assistant Materials Manager

Just this past May, Scott Ginter was graduating from university, where he combined a major in Finance with work experience in auto mechanics and vehicle emission inspections. Today, he is an Assistant Materials Manager at Kloeckner Metals.

“My responsibilities include purchasing wide flange beams, maintaining inventory, and quoting material for the Kloeckner Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa branches. The main reason you would come to me is for a quote on beam materials or to check the status of a beam order.”

Scott made the transition by spotting and taking advantage of an opportunity he had been watching out for after interning at Kloeckner last summer. “I started out as an intern in the digitalization department in the summer of 2018 for three months. After graduating, I reached out to Kloeckner about the open buyer job posting and was offered the position.”

Scott’s time with Kloeckner has just passed the one-month mark but he’s already found the role has both fulfilled his expectations and challenged him in unexpected ways. “I knew I wanted to work in a position relating to finance or procurement and this position seemed like a really good fit.”

Of course, the internship helped Scott know what he was getting into. “Having worked at Kloeckner previously I knew that I enjoyed the company culture and employees.” But that doesn’t mean there weren’t welcome surprises. “One thing that has surprised me about working at Kloeckner is how quickly I was able to jump into my position, start making important decisions and become a part of the team.”

Partly, that growth was accelerated by the training that Kloecker made available to Scott. “What I love about working at Kloeckner is that the company has invested a lot of time and resources to ensure my success and development in my position.

“Kloeckner is providing me with the necessary training and experience needed to complete my job as well as expand on the building of the necessary skills I will need in my future career. They are also making sure that I completely understand the steel industry as a whole.”

Sometimes the education is in the office and sometimes it’s in the field. “One thing that excites me is that this month I am taking a trip to one of the steel mills that we work with to see how the steel making process is done.”

And considering his first interaction with Kloeckner was with the digitalization team, it’s no surprise Scott is also excited by the potential of Kloeckner’s various digitization projects. “So far what I have seen from working in the steel industry is that things are still done in a very manual and traditional way that could be standardized.

“I know that Kloeckner’s digitalization team is working on various projects to modernize some of the company’s processes which I think will be extremely beneficial and exciting once they are implemented.”

That doesn’t mean starting his career at Kloeckner hasn’t had its challenges. “One of the biggest misconceptions that I have seen in my short time in this position is that people do not realize how much time and effort that being a buyer requires. People think that buying beams is a one-stop shop when in reality there are a lot of moving parts that you have to balance.”

But Scott’s status as a millennial is proving to be an asset at Kloeckner, both in his own role at Kloeckner and as part of digitization trends in manufacturing at large. What does Scott bring to the table? “A different perspective on how to get things done and how current practices can be modernized so that they can be done more efficiently.”

Still, he’s taking this opportunity to learn all his can from his colleagues, millennial or otherwise. “Most of my colleagues are not millennials. I am learning a lot from them because many of them have been in the industry for a long time and know the ins, outs, tips, and tricks that can benefit you moving forward in your career in the steel industry.”

Scott has only been with Kloeckner for a month, but he’s already thinking ahead. “I foresee myself working my way up in the company over time. I think that Kloeckner provides great opportunities to grow and I can see myself in the positions of my superiors one day.”