Academics > Majors and Areas of Study > Business Administration and Accounting

Professor Giannini's and Dr. Arthur White's Business Ethics class visit V&M Star Steel in Youngstown, OH for a first hand look at their environmental practices.

Jeff Bindas, Environmental Manager, and Sherry Reamensnyder, of the environmental office, presented their environmental program which has been recognized by the Steel Manufacturers Association.  During this presentation it was emphasized that the ethical nature of this program has benefited the company's bottom line.  After the presentation, students were given a plant tour to observe the steel and pipe making processes.  A luncheon followed with a question and answer session.

V&M Star Steel is one of the leading manufacturers of steel pipe utilized in the petroleum industry.  It has been in existence since 1982 when the former Sheet and Tube steel facility was bought and renovated for the production of steel tube.  V&M Star Steel uses an electric furnace process for making the steel then rolls the steel into pipe which is them shipped to its Houston, TX facility for final processing.

V&M Star Steel is in the process of obtaining the ISO 14000 certification to improve their environmental management.  This certification is being done to meet the stricter regulations regarding effluent water, atmospheric emissions, and the reduction of waste water.

The company has been working on minimizing the impact of its waste for many years and is always looking for ways to recycle as much as possible.  The plant achieved an average recycling rate of 88% on 124 tons of waste in 2005.  The Steel Manufacturers Association awarded them the title of the U.S. steel industry's "2005 Recycler of the Year" in recognition of this exceptional achievement towards the preservation of the environment.