Nucor 2011 Annual Report Download - page 7

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Through initiatives such as “One Nucor” and “Commercial Excellence,” our team is working more closely together than ever to
take care of our customers. For example, our HEAT team (Heavy Equipment, Agricultural and Transportation) is made up of sales
leaders from multiple steel product groups and focuses on team selling to specific OEM customers. In a number of examples, this
team was able to more than double our sales tons with key OEM customers by taking a base position in a single product (such as
sheet steel) and adding sales of plate, SBQ and structural steel products. We expect further market penetration in 2012 as our
HEAT, Power and Energy Infrastructure, Construction and Transportation Infrastructure and Automotive and Consumer Durable
teams work to leverage our broad product offerings and network of customer relationships.
A more dramatic example of teamwork occurred this past spring, when a series of devastating tornadoes tore through the
Southeast. Our Decatur, Alabama, sheet mill lost full electrical power for 29 days; however, in true Nucor fashion, our team
responded immediately. Our Decatur team worked with their sister sheet mill divisions to successfully move all of Decatur’s
orders to other Nucor sheet mills. Those orders were then produced and delivered on time. The change in production sourcing
within the Nucor sheet mill group was seamless, if not invisible, to our customers. Meanwhile, many Nucor divisions, including
Decatur, hustled to send supplies, equipment and volunteers to help nearby communities recover from the extensive tornado
damage. The bottom line is that we use Nucor’s unrivaled position of strength and flexibility to take care of ALL of our
customers. I want to again personally thank all of my teammates for the extraordinary efforts they put forth to help those in the
communities devastated by the tornadoes — THANK YOU — I couldn’t be prouder!
U.S.-Based Manufacturing — The Way Forward
U.S.-based manufacturing will hold the key to continued domestic economic growth for years and decades to come. A move back
to “creating, making and building” things as the major driver of our economy and growth of our middle class is long overdue! The
idea that a services-dominated economy alone could provide lasting wealth creation (and good riddance to the manufacturing
sector) is a hugely failed business model that depended on one phony wealth creation scheme after another to generate a
“fool’s gold” wealth. The only way to build a long-lasting wealth creation cycle is to return to the business model based on sound
economic fundamentals and to rely on “creating, making and building” things again, here at home. The answer is not to rely on the
something-for-nothing government policy and financial business model that has created one major economic bubble after another,
culminating with the “great financial collapse” of 2008.
This is how we awaken the dream and rekindle the process that allows for future generations to have the opportunity — not the
guarantee, but the opportunity — to improve upon previous ones. The time is right, the opportunity is here for us to seize, and
the path forward is clear. The new opportunities in energy, infrastructure rebuilding, and revitalizing our manufacturing sector are
shouting out to us as the path forward. This is the path that will create 30 million net jobs over the next five to seven years, rebuild
our economy, our tax base, our middle class and our global competitiveness! We at Nucor and our partners in the domestic and
multinational manufacturing community are committed to doing our part to shine a bright light on this path forward.
In closing, I would like to once again say thank you to all Nucor, Harris and DJJ teammates for their remarkable energy and
commitment to working hard, working smart, working together and, most importantly, working safely; to our customers and
suppliers for the strong relationships and the valued business we do together; and to our stockholders for your continued
investment in and support for the Nucor team.
Nucor’s best is yet to come!
Let’s Continue To Do It Together,
Daniel R. DiMicco
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer