SMDI Awards Outstanding Work

Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI; Washington, DC), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI; Washington, DC), recognized four outstanding individuals with awards during their general meeting held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. These awards were presented in three categories by AISI chairman Roger Newport, the chief executive officer of AK Steel Corporation (West Chester, OH), to recognize lifetime achievement, industry leadership, and market development achievement. All three award categories acknowledge lasting contributions made to advancing the competitive use of steel in the construction, automotive and packaging markets. They are each unique, based on these parameters:

1. Individual achievements made over the course of a career. (SMDI Lifetime Achievement Award)
2. Contributions made by steel industry partners and customers. (SMDI Industry Leadership Award)
3. Contributions made by members of the North American steel industry. (SMDI Market Development Achievement Award)

The SMDI Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Paul Schurter, ArcelorMittal Dofasco (Hamilton, ON), who is retired. For more than 20 years, he was a vital member of SMDI’s automotive team, providing leadership for the Automotive Applications Council, Auto/Steel Partnership, Automotive Technical Panel, the Great Designs in Steel annual conference series, and more. He also provided technical updates to the Auto/Steel Design Manual and CARS software. He was successful in his efforts to help automakers achieve the mass reduction and performance targets of their future vehicle programs through the use of new steel grades, new design solutions, and new manufacturing technologies.

The SMDI Industry Leadership Award for steel industry partners and customers was presented to:

• John Cross, PE, the vice president of special projects for the American Institute of Steel Construction (Chicago, IL). Cross is a tireless advocate for the use of structural steel over competing materials and for the use of steel from North American mills vs. imported product. He is a frequent speaker at seminars focused on construction economics, sustainability, and building information modeling (BIM). His expertise on national model green standards and programs in the U.S., messaging relative to the sustainable benefits of steel vs. wood in construction, and active participation on SMDI’s Construction Sustainability Council have contributed significantly to the long-lasting competitiveness of the steel industry.
• Gregory S. Warden, the executive director and global functional leader, body, exterior, and dimensional engineering, for the General Motors Global Technical Center (Warren, MI). He is a team leader in the application of Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) systems to General Motors vehicles and a strong proponent of collaboration through SMDI and its member companies. His efforts to take advantage of the properties and value of steel and apply them to GM vehicle design challenges has contributed significantly to the use of AHSS in the automotive marketplace.

The SMDI Market Development Achievement Award for members of the North American steel industry was presented to Blake Zuidema, PhD, the senior director of Automotive Product Applications Division for ArcelorMittal Global R&D (East Chicago, IN). With extensive experience in both the steel and automotive industries, he is recognized for his expertise on Life Cycle Analysis technical issues and strategic leadership on how the steel industry can meet future automotive industry challenges. Throughout his career, he has contributed technical and sustainability systems to future vehicle design challenges.

“We are pleased to recognize each of these award winners, whose leadership, enthusiasm and commitment to the use of steel to meet marketplace challenges have contributed to transformative changes to the construction and automotive markets,” stated Thomas J. Gibson, the president and chief executive officer of AISI. “We commend and thank them for the lasting contributions they have made over the years and for the standards they have set for the next generation of automotive and construction design professionals.”

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