Regional Steel, UHV alumnus earn national leadership awards
When Nikki Felcman, human resources coordinator for Regional Steel Products Inc., was sending in nominations for the 2018 Leadership Excellence and Development awards, she knew Chad Hall, the company’s general manager and a University of Houston-Victoria alumnus, deserved to be nominated.
“Chad works hard to manage Regional Steel’s operation and quality control every day,” Felcman said. “It’s largely through his efforts and leadership that the company has been recognized three years in a row.”
Hall and Victoria-based Regional Steel Products Inc. were honored at the Leadership Excellence and Development 2018 conference awards in February in Salt Lake City, Utah. The LEAD awards recognize the world’s top leadership practitioners and rank the top 10 percent in each leadership category in the Winner’s Circle. Hundreds of companies and programs, including Microsoft, Toyota, FedEx, Verizon, Godiva and Humana, apply for the awards each year, and winners and rankings are published in the Leadership Excellence Essentials magazine.
During the 2018 LEAD Awards, Regional Steel received first in the Best Use of Team-building category and second in the Best Customer Service Leadership Training Program category. Both awards were given for the company’s quality control program. Hall was awarded 11th place in the Top Corporate Leader Over 35 category out of 250 nominations.
“To win an award of this caliber once is a great accomplishment, but to be recognized for three years in a row is just fantastic,” said Elton Calhoun, president of Regional Steel Products Inc. “I am proud of Chad and all he has done at Regional Steel. He continues to push the company forward with innovative ideas and forward thinking. We are lucky to have him here.”
In addition to his award, Hall was asked to lead a roundtable discussion during the conference. His discussion focused on strategies he and others used to help their companies achieve success. Hall earned his Strategic Master of Business Administration in management from the UHV School of Business Administration in 2004.
“We are so proud of everything Chad Hall has accomplished at Regional Steel and in the community,” said Kira Mudd, UHV director of alumni relations and annual giving. “He and Regional Steel Products Inc. have been longtime supporters of UHV, and we are happy to see their success receive such prestigious recognition.”
The quality control program was created by Hall to help the company improve its system of delivering orders to customers. When Hall started working in Regional Steel’s operations area, the company had as many as 17 delivery errors a month. Hall created a bonus system that rewarded employees for increased accuracy. The program was so successful that the company has set a record of more than 500 days without a delivery error, Felcman said.
“I’m very proud to receive this award and be part of such an outstanding team,” Hall said. “It’s amazing to see Regional Steel receiving honors among all these major international companies every year. It takes a team of dedicated individuals working together to reach the level of quality service that Regional Steel offers. I couldn’t be prouder of all the hard work our employees put in to better serve our customers.”
Helping to create and implement the quality control program is one of Hall’s proudest achievements. Part of the reason he has been able to lead so well at Regional Steel was a result of the education he received at UHV, he said.
“One of the most important things I learned was that people are the greatest resource a business can have,” Hall said. “No business can run without employees, so it’s important to value employees and take care of them. If you create a work culture that lifts them up and lets them know they are important, they will be encouraged to do their best and give their all to make the company succeed.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
