Ken Iverson

In an industry where a large portion of the work force was unionized, Iverson built Nucor with an entirely non-union workforce, rewarding his workers through generous production bonuses. In an industry in which nearly all steel was made in huge, capital-intensive blast-furnace factories, Iverson decided to have Nucor manufacture steel entirely from relatively small factories using recycled steel scrap. Thus, Nucor sparked the boom in "mini-mills," which now produce more than half of all steel made in the United States. Nucor, meanwhile, has grown to the largest steelmaker (measured by tons) in the United States and the largest individual recycler of any material.

"All of us at Nucor are a product of his vision,"
said Daniel R. DiMicco, Nucor's Vice Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer.
"The best thing we can do is to continue following that vision."

Ken Iverson's legacy to the steel industry will endure for generations to come.