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‘Back-to-Basics’ approach

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Posted on February 15, 2007 by Stefan Schwarz

After the events of 2006 in which the global steel industry shifted towards consolidation it was Arcelor Mittal that led the way.

Mike Rippey, President and CEO of Arcelor Mittal USA speaks of how this major event must now prove the rationale of the merger through a solid business execution in 2007.

The Back-to-Basics approach means to regain and then maintain a complete focus on the basic fundamental concepts in the business, including safety, quality, delivery, reliability and cost. 2007 brings about an opportunity to secure a bright future.

The 2007 business plan is set to focus on key objectives starting with safety. The safety goals that have been laid out will be accomplished through joint union and management efforts. This is to be further enforced with the international Health & Safety day on March 6th.

Another key component is to establish a firm market leadership position. Focusing on customers and proving that we can successfully compete in our markets at a low cost, high quality model.

Finally there is a plan to capture existing synergies and best practices available to us through the integration of Arcelor and Mittal Steel. This will enable the leveraging of global resources and best practices to make meaningful improvements in operational efficiencies and maintenance practices.

The back-to-basics approach is designed to achieve and sustain operational excellence in all activities, providing a foundation to compete effectively in all of flat-rolled markets and to ensure the long-term viability of the business.

Adapted from an article by Mike Rippey, President and CEO of Arcelor Mittal USA.



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2 comments


  • February 15th, 2007 by Diomedes

    I sincerely congratulate Mr.Rippey for finally promoting action in the field. I’m glad we are finally talking business after so many distractions (integration, new branding, high level who is who). Let’s get ready for the long run so the next crisis won’t catch us celebrating the Chinese New Year…



  • February 16th, 2007 by Vincent

    Capturing best practices is nice, but let’s not forget to make them flow across the organization. Knowledge is all about flows, not stocks.




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