August/September Business View Magazine

32 33 Carlton agrees: “Our competitors supply a prod- uct and then it’s up to the customers to use it. We develop a partnership with our customers, so our product deliverables include our technical service capabilities. So that when issues do come up, whether it’s on the customers’ side, or even on the product side, we can help provide solutions. The total package we offer is second to none in the U.S.– experienced, knowledgeable production teams in our plants and the wide range of highly skilled sales and technical service teams.” Both Carlton and McCloy stress that one of the company’s main priorities, going forward, is to support a resurgent American steel industry with products that are domestically made. “Tokai Car- bon has been importing graphite electrodes into the U.S. steel industry for many years,” Carlton notes. “Now, with Tokai having a U.S. manufac- turing footprint, we will expand our production capacity in the U.S. to locally provide supply and service for both our existing customers as well as Tokai’s. We have told our steel customers, ‘We’re going to offer you U.S. based sales, service, pro- duction, and support all from the U.S. facilities.’ We might not be the biggest supplier, but we’ll be the best supplier for the U.S. steel industry.” “We’re here to support and supply the U.S. steel industry out of a U.S. plant,” echoes McCloy. “We currently do import some products, but we’re eventually looking to absorb that into our produc- tion capabilities in the U.S. In a short few years, the U.S. market will be supplied by our graphite produced from American plants and made with American-made raw material, as well.” As the investments are being made, Carlton is looking to his most important assets - his em- ployees. “Once we further invest to expand our capacity to best serve our U.S. customer base, we’ll have one of the largest electrode produc- tion capabilities in the U.S,” he declares. “But the people are the ones that drive our success and make it happen.We are actively moving toward a driven and passionate corporate culture.With our employee’s experience and knowledge, all they