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John H. McConnell is the founder of Worthington Industries. He was instrumental in making the company the premier steel and metal-based products manufacturer in the US.
With his exceptional business leader skills, McConnell was able to transform Worthington into a multi-billion-dollar operation. McConnell's highly effective management philosophy was both innovative and employee-based.
John H. Mcconnell and His Steely Business
The child of a steel worker, John H. McConnell grew up during the years of the Great Depression. McConnell had his first job at Weirton Steel. One year into his job, he enlisted in the US Navy and served in World War II. When the war ended, McConnell married Peggy Rardin. He was able to finish school at Michigan University thanks to the GI Bill that benefited war fighters.
After graduating in 1949, McConnell returned to Weirton Steel Corporation to embark on a career as salesman. Not long after, he saw a niche in the industry for services governing custom steel processing. McConnell opted to become a steels broker and served as an independent link between mills and their customers.
With only $1,200 in his bank account, he was able to broker his first steel load after securing a $600 loan on his Oldsmobile. McConnell earned $600 profit from the deal he made. That little transaction put Worthington Industries on the business map.
It was a firm that was established to meet increasing demands for value-added steel processing that featured superior quality, shorter lead-times and plans for filling out any order size. These were things the larger steel mills weren't doing.
McConnell's company really took off when he included a slitter line for steel-cutting in the specs of a small facility in a Columbus suburb. Worthington Industries essentially laid the groundwork for the steel processing industry. In its first year of operation, it had recorded sales of $342,000. John H. McConnell is credited with the phenomenal success that his steel business enjoyed.
Like many great business leaders, he had a personal business philosophy. His golden rule for business was - treat employees, customers, suppliers and investors the same way you'd want to be treated.
The John H. McConnell Quick Bio
Full name: John H. McConnell
Birth date: 1923
Birth place: West Virginia
Company: Worthington Industries
Industry: Metals
Key success traits: takes risks, is innovative and has genuine concern for subordinates
Additional:
Numerous awards have been given to John H. McConnell. These include the Financial World Magazine's Outstanding CEO of the Year, the Ohio Governor's award, the Industry Week's award for management excellence and the Horatio Alger award. These awards are proof positive of McConnell's indelible contribution to the industry of steel-processing.
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