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!