The CEO of the most recent company to locate at one of the Ports of Indiana's three ports has received the top national award from a major steel publication. David Samrick, president and CEO of Mill Steel Co., based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has been named 'Service Center Executive of the Year' by Metal Center News, a trade publication for the steel distribution sector. In 2014, Mill Steel opened a state-of-the-art flat-rolled steel service center at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville, located on the Ohio River. The company processes both pre-painted and non-painted steel for the construction, automotive, appliance and general manufacturing markets. According to Metal Center News, the distinction recognizes an individual "who serves as a model for rest of the industry... this recognition transcends metrics like sales, growth or facilities and is awarded to an executive whose career, business practices and character exemplify true leadership." "You don't have to be around David Samrick very long to understand why Metal Center News singled him out as the steel industry's 'Service Center Executive of the Year,'" said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. "He understands the steel service sector as well as anyone in the country and takes extraordinary pride developing top talent within the organization to keep his company performing at a high level in meeting and exceeding customer expectations. We were honored to have Mill Steel develop a facility at our Jeffersonville port and we look forward to doing our part to help it grow in the future."   The Ports of Indiana provided bond financing for Mill Steel to acquire and expand an existing 105,000-square-foot facility at the port. Mill Steel installed two slitting lines and a cut-to-length line, which enhances the company's service capabilities. The 120,000-square-foot expansion is on track to be completed by March. Since the plant's opening in June, 24 employees have been hired and an additional 19 are expected to join the company when the expansion is operational. The Jeffersonville port provides Mill Steel with direct connections to multiple rail carriers and year-round barge shipping with access to the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes through the Ohio-Mississippi river system. Mill Steel joined the port's 'Steel Campus,' an alliance of 13 businesses providing a range of metals-related synergies at the Ohio River facility.