The second is to see which construction workers might make good steelworkers. It turns out that the best carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and crane operators will get offers to work in the mill they're building. Rodney Mott, the Charleston mill's vice president and general manager, says hiring construction workers was a necessity in Nucor's early days. The company wanted to avoid recruiting experienced steelworkers who had picked up bad habits working for U.S. Steel or Bethlehem. Over the years, necessity became a methodology.
Construction workers remain one of the company's most reliable sources of talent.
In other words, it's not for everybody. Which is precisely why the company works so hard to find the right people. Money is important to our people. Coblin says he's not looking for particular skills. He's looking for a mind-set.