US-based Braidy Industries, an Ashland, Kentucky-based manufacturer of metals for the global transportation and defence industries, has named Thomas Modrowski as the new president of its subsidiary, Braidy Atlas.

With this appointment, Braidy Industries moves another step closer to leading the rebuild of Appalachia with the first state-of-the-art greenfield aluminum mill in over 30 years.

Modrowski, who has served as executive VP of Construction for Braidy Industries since June 2017, will head Braidy Atlas’ operations, overseeing mill completion and integrated aluminum sheet production.

He brings nearly 40 years of experience in aluminum and steel processing, and unique experience with greenfield construction in the steel industry.

Welcoming the appointment, CEO Craig Bouchard said: "Modrowski’s expertise is ideal to lead Braidy Atlas to rapid automotive qualification with our OEM partners. He is a proven contributor to our executive management team, and has kept us on-track and on-budget in our ongoing construction."

The Braidy Atlas mill will open with capacity of 300,000 tons per annum, producing series 3000, 5000 and 6000 aluminum sheet products, and the mill’s capacity is sold out for its first seven years of production.

With subsidiary NanoAL’s nanocrystalline metal alloy technology, Braidy Atlas’ goal is ultimately to produce cost-effective, lightweight aluminum sheet that is 20 percent stronger at the same cost of production.

Of his expanded role, Modrowski said: "I am honoured to step into the opportunity to shepherd the Braidy Atlas mill into its next phase as the nation’s leading low-cost producer of aluminum sheet for the automotive industry. I serve alongside an incredible team of co-invested managers working toward a common goal of quality customer service as we bring first-class advanced manufacturing to Appalachia."

Modrowski holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana and has extensive leadership experience at leading steel, coating technology and merchandising companies.

As an employee of US Steel from 1985-1995, he managed a team that directed the design, installation, setup and subsequent management of Double Eagle, a producer of nearly 900,000 tonne annually of exposed coated metal sheet product for the automotive industry.

As President of Electric Coating Technologies, Modrowski spearheaded the re-opening of its processing facility that was later acquired by Esmark Steel Group. He later served as President of Esmark Steel.

He had also served on the boards of Mountain State Carbon, LLC, Wheeling Nisshin, Inc., Ohio Coatings Company, Great Western Steel and Wheeling Specialty Processing.-TradeArabia News Service