Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that an unusual lawsuit filed in Commonwealth Court by Attorney General Ms Linda Kelly, though, accuses a McKeesport company of ignoring that requirement in two school building projects, in a case that raises questions about how the domestic content rule applies in the age of outsourcing.

Ms Kelly's civil deputies sued Ryco Inc in August 2012, saying the company violated the Steel Products Procurement Act. This month her office amended the complaint, making more specific accusations and mentioning but not accusing Ryco's former controller and chief financial officer Mr George Dunbar, now a state representative.

According to the amended complaint, though, the company used imported fittings, some stamped with a China marking, while others were marked Poland.

Mr Dunbar said he wasn't intimately involved in Ryco's day to day operations and wouldn't have known if someone in the company was buying foreign steel when domestic was required. He said that "I knew whenever we had contracts that had state dollars in it, under the act, you had to use domestic steel. I don't, for one moment, think that there was wilful intent to do anything wrong. If there was something that was wrong, they should pay the penalties."

Ryco, a three decade old company with subsidiaries involved in plumbing and sprinkler installation, was hired starting in 2008 to design and build fire suppression systems for Indiana University of Pennsylvania dormitories. The firm was paid USD 670,000. Ryco executives including VP Mr Richard Bosco submitted forms pledging to use domestic steel.

Source – Pittsburgh Post Gazette

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