Essar Steel- Everything’s A-OK

Every year, the Sault’s own summer festival livens up the city. Filling the streets with live entertainment, carnival rides and much more, Rotaryfest provides the residents of the Sault with a weekend of fun and entertainment. The parade is a staple of Rotaryfest, and as a corporate sponsor, Essar Steel Algoma looks forward each year to submitting a float in the community day parade. Despite forecasted rain and thunderstorms for this past Saturday, the skies were clear and the sun was shining- a perfect day for a parade! Not that a cloudy skies forecast was dampening anyone’s spirit; all those participating in the parade knew that it never rains on a parade. The sweltering heat didn’t stop the thousands of people from lining Queen Street to catch a glimpse of Television Memories on Queen and join in the celebration. It was a hot walk for those who chose to walk- especially those donning a costume. Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Bert and Ernie were troopers!

Leading our parade float was Oscar the Grouch, attached to the front of the transport. Keeping cool in his garbage can, he sneaked sporadic peeks at the crowd.

Thanks again to the Rotarians who bring this community together in celebration year after year and thank you to all of the talented and enthusiastic Essar Steel Algoma employees who helped to make everything A-OK.

See below for photos from parade day.

Once the parade ended on Saturday, something else very exciting was happening on Russ Ramsay Way. The Rotary Arch was being unveiled. This arch has special significance to the City of Sault Ste. Marie because it pays homage to the history of Sault Ste. Marie. The Arch was originally built in 1937 and used to welcome those entering the Sault via ferry, including Queen Elizabeth herself. Essar Steel Algoma played a special role in the Rotary Arch coming to life, donating the steel and craftsmanship of our employees who built and erected this historic landmark.

Also, a special thank-you to Sterling Crane and Trans pro for their help in this project!

See below for photos from the unveiling ceremony.

ribbon about to be cut, left to right, Jim Hrusovsky, CEO, Essar Steel Algoma Inc. ; Debbie Amaroso, Mayor, City of Sault Ste. Marie; Rotaryfest Committe Members

Essar Steel Algoma Inc. CEO Jim Hrusovsky speaks at Rotary Arch unveiling ceremony

Big Bird headbands in progress

Sesame Street float sign in the Carpentry Department prior to its attachment to the float

float outside of Carpentry, in the process of being assembled

Oscar the Grouch, seen in the Carpentry department before being attached to the front of the transport.

Jay and Misty Roberts, Yip Yip hooray!

Noah Cadham, Big Bird for a day

Cookie Monster, AKA- Gideon Down

the Parade Crew, outside the Essar House just before the parade is about to begin

2011’s Scholarship of Excellence Recipients: Off to a Shining Start

Essar is pleased to introduce the 2011 Scholarship of Excellence Recipients

(left to right: Lucas Buffone, Maia Stevenson, Andrew Pozzebon, Thomas Roy)

Last year was Essar Steel Algoma’s Scholarship of Excellence program’s inaugural year.

The program was developed to give students in Essar communities an academically and personally rewarding growth opportunity. The Scholarship of Excellence is offered to local high school students who plan to continue their education at a university or college upon graduation. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement, and first consideration is given to a child, grandchild or legal ward of an Essar employee or retiree.

The Scholarship of Excellence program is made up of two scholarship opportunities: the Scholarship of Distinction (for students attending university) and the Scholarship of Merit (for students attending college). Students from all local high schools are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

This year, four outstanding students were chosen by our Scholarship Committee as recipients of this prestigious award:

Lucas Buffone- St. Basil- Scholarship of Distinction Recipient
Thomas Roy- St. Mary’s- Scholarship of Merit Recipient
Andrew Pozzebon- St. Mary’s- Scholarship of Merit Recipient
Maia Stevenson- White Pines- Scholarship of Distinction Recipient

Lucas, whose father Lou is a current employee of Essar Steel Algoma, plans to attend the University of Toronto in the fall and is enrolled in the life sciences program. Lucas has high hopes of attending medical school in the future and becoming a doctor in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie. He sees this as a way of “giving back to the community”.

Thomas Roy is attending Sault College in the fall and is studying in the electrical engineering, process automation program. Like his father Ron Roy, Thomas hopes to one day work at Essar Steel Algoma. He says that the Scholarship of Excellence program will allow him to focus more on studying and not worrying so much about the financial aspect of attending school.

Andrew Pozzebon heard about the Scholarship of Excellence opportunity through his high school guidance councilor. He is moving to Sudbury in the fall to attend Cambrian College, where he will major in power engineering. Andrew plans to get his stationary engineering certificate and “return home and work in the Sault”. He also is grateful for the financial help that the scholarship provides, allowing him to focus more on school. Andrew’s grandfather Armando Pozzebon is a retiree of Essar Steel Algoma.

Maia Stevenson is attending McMaster University in the fall, and is majoring in arts and science. She plans to major in Psychology in her second year, and one day hopes to work in the psychology field. Her grandfather Luciano Morassut, a retiree of Essar Steel Algoma told her about the scholarship opportunity and encouraged her to apply. Maia says that being the recipient of the Scholarship of Distinction has “given her confidence going into her first year”. She finds it deeply encouraging that Essar Steel Algoma “trusts her to succeed in her academic career”. She also has a “sense of security knowing that she has support from the Sault”.

The Scholarship of Excellence program is renewable for the term of each student’s degree, and is subject to minimum performance requirements.

Essar Steel Algoma is sending best wishes to Lucas, Thomas, Andrew and Maia as they follow their dreams! We look forward to following their progress

Essar’s Steel Keeps Officers Safe

Members of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Tactical Team and Essar Steel Algoma employees exchange perspectives

Today inside our Heat Treated Plate facility here in Sault Ste. Marie, the local Police Service unveiled an impressive new armoured truck to add to their fleet of response and rescue vehicles. Essar Steel Algoma donated the armour plate used in the construction of the vehicle, and today’s event brought our steel full circle.

The Ballistic Armoured Tactical Transport will help protect officers during high-risk calls such as armed and barricaded persons inside buildings, high risk vehicle stops, execution of high risk warrants, gun calls, hostage takings and other serious incidents.

Essar Steel Algoma is proud to play a supporting role in the safety of our police officers and the security of our community. We are also excited to share this investment with those employees who make the armour plate.

At today’s event, officers from the Tactical Team had a chance to see first hand how the armour plate is made and to meet some of the employees who made the steel. For our employees, the event provided a rare opportunity to examine an end use application up close, and to meet the customers whose lives will be protected by their steel.

To read the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service official News Release, click here.

The Essar Steel Algoma Heat Treated Plate Facility produces a full range of high quality heat treated products for high strength, abrasion resistant, ballistic and other specialty plate applications.

To read more about Essar Steel Algoma’s armour plate, and other heat treated plate products, click here.

Below are photos from today's event:

(A member of the Sault Ste Marie Police Tactical Team)

(The back door of the armour vehicle bears Essar's name)

(Superintendent of Plate and Strip Finishing Domenic Spadafora explains the plate process to members of the tactical team)

(a member of the tactical team explains the vehicles specs to Essar Steel Algoma employees)

(From left to right (bottom row): members of the tactical team, Ravi Subrama Randham, General Manager Flat Roll Operations, Pramod Shukla, Chief Operating Officer, Sault Ste. Marie Police Chief Bob Davies, (top row): Essar Steel Algoma Plate and Strip employees

(Left to right (Essar Steel Algoma employees who helped to make the armour plate), Andrew Newton, Martin Champagne, Dominic Spadafora, Mike Fera, Rod St. John, Jim Lauricella, Paul Conway, Chris Misner, Dan Reed)

(BATT, armoured vehicle) photo courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

(the BATT leaving #2 gate)

photo courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

(in-front of the BATT, left to right: Rod. St. John, Andrew Newton, Martin Champagne, Jim Lauricella, Paul Conway, Chris Misner)

photo courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

(Armando Plastino surveys the BATT with Sault Ste. Marie Chief of Police Robert Davies)

photo courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

(General Manager of Safety, Environment and Emergency Services Jerry Suurna talks to members of the tactical unit)

photo courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

(Superindendent of Plate and Strip Finishing Domenic Spadafora explains the plate mill process to members of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service)

photo courtesy Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

(Chief Operating Officer Pramod Shukla speaks with Police Chief Robert Davies)

WANTED: Leaders of Tomorrow

We’re looking for bright and talented achievers planning to pursue a university or college education! Here at Essar Steel Algoma, we have an opportunity that could positively impact a student’s continuing education.

At Essar we're committed to the pursuit of higher education. The Scholarship of Excellence enables us to invest in the development of youth pursuing a higher education while advancing the quality of life in the community in which we work, live and raise our families.

The Scholarship of Excellence Program encompasses two distinctive tuition scholarships.

The Scholarship of Distinction is a university tuition scholarship valued at $5000. The scholarship is awarded to up to two students each year and is renewable for the term of their degree, subject to minimum performance requirements.

The Scholarship of Merit is a college tuition scholarship valued at $3000. The scholarship is awarded to up to two students each year and is renewable for the term of their diploma, subject to minimum performance requirements.

Certain eligibility and criteria to apply and can be found here, along with the application form. Essar’s prestigious Scholarship of Excellence program gives preference to a child, grandchild, or legal ward of a current or retired Essar employee or retiree.

The Scholarship of Excellence debuted last year and three recipients were selected. Nicolas Turco (St. Mary’s) and Olivia Christie (Korah) received the Scholarship of Distinction, while Stephen Lajambe (CASS) was selected for the Scholarship of Merit. Olivia Christie is attending the University of Western, Ontario where she is studying nursing. She tells us that she is “enjoying university life but that it is a lot of hard work!” Nicolas Turco is attending the University of Waterloo and is enrolled in Arts and Business. Nic says that he is “majoring in legal studies and is really enjoying the program”. He also says that “the Essar Steel Scholarship of Excellence is an extremely helpful resource that has enabled me to move forward on my future career path and I appreciate it even more now that I am having the awesome experience that university provides”. Stephen Lajambe is enrolled at Cambrian College in Sudbury in their electrical program. Stephen maintained a 4.0 this year and says that he is “working extremely hard to get another one this semester”.

March 31st is the application deadline. Applications can be submitted to the guidance councilor at the student’s high school, or dropped off at the front desk of the Human Resources building at Essar Steel Algoma.

Tell the student in your life today about this exciting opportunity!

Essar Steel Algoma's 2nd Annual Food Drive proves to be a success!

Last year Essar Steel Algoma Inc. started up a corporate initiative to give back to the communtity...the One CAN Make a Difference Food Drive. The food drive was met with enthusiam amongst our employees in its inaugural year, and this year's response was no exception!

For three weeks, department representatives known as Department Champions set up collection stations in their respective departments around the steelworks. During this period, employees dropped off non perishable items. The collections garnered from our food drive go towards our local Soup Kitchen and Vincent Place who both rely on community support to stock the shelves of their food banks.

Taking an active role in the community is very important to us here at Essar Steel Algoma.

We are proud of our employees' efforts, whose generosity proves that One Can Make a Difference.

Click here to view the offical news release. See photos below of our deliveries to the Soup Kitchen and Vincent Place on Friday, February 18th.


Soup Kitchen coordinator Kalna McGoldrick (centre) poses with Essar Steel Algoma employees in the Soup Kitchen's food storage room.



Unloading boxes of canned goods at the Soup Kitchen ...



Vincent Place General Manager Nat Cicchelli (far right) is seen below with food drive department reps.


Unloading boxes of canned goods at Vincent Place...