May 13, 2026, Press Release from PRO-TEC Coating Company:
LEIPSIC, Ohio - PRO-TEC Coating Company, a 50/50 joint venture between United States Steel Corporation (“U. S. Steel”) and Kobe Steel, Ltd., of Japan, (“Kobe Steel”) announced that its president, Richard E. Veitch, has elected to retire effective June 1, 2026, after 44 years of service in the steel industry, including 10 years at PRO-TEC.
Veitch will be succeeded as president of PRO-TEC by Joseph S. Hunter, who most recently served as Plant Manager of Great Lakes Works within the North American Flat Roll segment of United States Steel Corporation. PRO-TEC is a provider of world-class coated flat-rolled steel primarily to the quality-critical automotive industry.
At PRO-TEC, Veitch oversaw the construction and launch of the new GEN3 Continuous Galvanizing Line. Under his experienced leadership, the organization grew to over 2 million tons of steel capacity, primarily for the automotive industry and includes the latest advancement of GEN3 steel.
Veitch’s U. S. Steel career began as a co-op student in 1981 in the hot strip mill at U. S. Steel’s Gary Works. Over Veitch’s career, he progressed through several management and executive positions at U. S. Steel operations, including; Gary Works, Midwest, Mon Valley Works, Kosice and Serbia. His previous position to PRO-TEC was General Manager of U. S. Steel’s Granite City Works. He also worked for National Steel mid-career. We wish him and his family all the best in his retirement.
Incoming President Joseph S. Hunter currently oversees the production of advanced high-strength, critical-exposed sheet products for the automotive industry. He also serves as Chairman of the Detroit Chapter of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (“AIST”), and as a member of the AIST Board of Directors.
Hunter joined U. S. Steel in 2012 as Area Manager at U. S. Steel’s Fairless Works and has since advanced through key, senior operational, technical, and manufacturing excellence roles across the enterprise. He brings extensive expertise in flat-rolled steel production, spanning hot and cold rolling and hot-dip galvanizing, with a strong focus on safety, asset reliability, and disciplined execution. Prior to his assignment at U. S. Steel’s Great Lakes Works, his leadership experience at U.S. Steel includes overseeing finishing operations at Mon Valley Works, driving technical and process improvements across North American Flat Roll, and serving as Plant Manager of rolling and finishing operations at Granite City Works.
Prior to U. S. Steel, Hunter built a strong operational foundation at Ormet Aluminum Corporation, progressing through leadership roles across primary, technical, and rolling mill operations. He later served as Plant/Site Manager for Powerspan Corporation at the First Energy R.E. Burger Power Generation Facility, where he led plant operations and R&D, supporting advanced ammonia-based flue-gas scrubbing and emissions-control technology.
A native of Wheeling, WV, Hunter holds a B.S. in Business Administration from West Liberty University and is an ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt.
Hunter and his wife, Christina, reside in Toledo, Ohio and his son Collin is a student at The Ohio State University.
