As managing director for ThyssenKrupp AG's tailored blanks division, Mr Christian Dohr helped grow the business from one shop employing 60 people to 14 facilities in eight countries employing more than 800.
Now Mr Dohr has an even bigger task. As chief executive officer of ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, he oversees the company's carbon steel mill in north Mobile County that employs 1,600 workers.
He said that "We have great equipment here, we hired great people, now it's really about building a great company out of those two things.”
ThyssenKrupp has spent USD 5 billion building the carbon steel mill and a separate stainless steel facility at the site. With construction nearing completion, ThyssenKrupp announced in December it would replace former CEO Chris Lackinger an engineer with someone who had more experience in sales.
Mr Dohr is taking over in tumultuous times. ThyssenKrupp announced in December that its Steel Americas division, which includes the Mobile carbon steel plant and a facility in Brazil, had an operating loss of EUR 3.1 billion (USD 4.1 billion) in the fiscal year that ended September 30. The result included a EUR 2.1 billion impairment charge blamed on cost overruns in Brazil and weak markets in the US.
And earlier this month, company officials denied rumors that they were considering selling the mills in Brazil and Mobile. On Friday, one rumored buyer, Vale SA ThyssenKrupp's minority partner in Brazil said it had no interest in upping its stake in the mill.
Mr Dohr, in a recent conversation with the Press Register said that he believes that the mill can become "the prime steel supplier" in the market defined by the North America Free Trade Agreement. He also said he's excited about being in Mobile and looking forward to his first taste of Mardi Gras.
Q - How does your experience in sales help your management ability?
Mr Dohr - I was one of the first engineers at ThyssenKrupp to go to sales it was uncommon at the time. What interested me most was that in sales, you have the role to identify market opportunities and also see what the company's capabilities are. You try to manage those to really take advantage of your strategic opportunities.
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