Sale met with uncertainty

By CHRISTOPHER KROMER Tribune Chronicle
WARREN -- Most of the workers exiting the WCI Steel Inc. plant at 3 p.m. Friday indicated they had learned of the companyás sale to OAO Severstal earlier in the day, but few knew what effect it would have on daily operations.

"It's all up in the air right now," said John Gaffney, a motor inspector in the blast furnace who has been with the company for eight years. "You don't know if they bought you up to take your business out."

"There was a mixed reaction at the time clock," said Becky Prokay, a 31-year WCI veteran who works in central maintenance. "I think it will be better. Severstal is a bigger company."

Others were less cautious in their predictions.

"I think it's the best thing that could've happened," said millwright Neil Parker, who has been with WCI for two years. "It can't hurt us."

Parker said that a co-worker had received an e-mail detailing news of the sale and shared it with others in the plant.

"They want to put money in the place. That's a good sign."

Gaffney said he learned of the company's sale while in the shower after work.

"Someone came in and said we were bought," said Gaffney, who said the combustion employees were the first to receive the news.

"I'm not going to say itás good or bad. We've just got to wait to see what happens."

Parker said there was a lot of talk about future plans, adding that the new owner had discussed adding two new vessels in the plantás basic oxygen furnace.

The company's willingness to inherit $230 million of debt demonstrates Severstalás commitment to the plant, Parker said.

Employees said they knew for a few years that the company was for sale.



ckromer@tribune-chronicle.com