Steel Stories by U. S. Steel

A new hot strip mill will transform how steel is made in Pittsburgh's Mon Valley. But what will it mean for the people who make it?

In Part 2 of this special Steel Stories series, host Ethan Epstein speaks with Chad Whelan, a process coordinator at U. S. Steel's Edgar Thomson Plant, about how U. S. Steel’s investments are changing the outlook for employees, customers and the surrounding community.

What does it take to build a steel mill designed to compete for generations?

In Part 1 of this special Steel Stories series, host Ethan Epstein goes inside one of the most ambitious projects in U. S. Steel history with Keith Watson, Vice President of Engineering and Capital Projects.

Keith reveals how a next-generation hot strip mill at Edgar Thomson Plant just outside of Pittsburgh could transform the Mon Valley, delivering greater quality, efficiency, automation and global competitiveness. He also shares the enormous challenge behind the build: thousands of workers, advanced technology, years of planning and the pressure to deliver everything safely, on time and on budget.

It is more than a new mill. It is an investment in the future of American steelmaking.

In this episode of Steel Stories, U. S. Steel President and CEO Dave Burritt reflects on one-year of partnership with Nippon Steel and what it means for the future of American steelmaking.

Dave joins host Ethan Epstein to discuss the road to completing the historic partnership, the investments now underway across U. S. Steel’s operations, and the opportunities ahead for employees, customers and the communities where U. S. Steel operates. He also shares his perspective on leadership, transformation, AI, reindustrialization, and the work ahead to build a stronger, more competitive U. S. Steel.

From Pittsburgh to Gary, Arkansas, Alabama and beyond, this conversation looks at how U. S. Steel is forging what comes next.

When did Pittsburgh stop being just a city with a football team and become THE football town?

That’s the question at the heart of this episode of Steel Stories, hosted by Ethan Epstein, Director of CEO and Executive Communications. Featuring Neil Zender, writer and director of Football Town from NFL Films; Wayne Wade Jr., head coach at Clairton High School; and Curt Miner, Ph.D., Chief of Interpretation in the Curatorial Division at The State Museum of Pennsylvania.

Together, they explore how Pittsburgh’s identity wasn’t built overnight, it was forged over generations in steel mills, on practice fields, and in communities where grit, discipline, and pride are a way of life.

In Western Pennsylvania, football is more than a game. It’s a reflection of who we are and where we come from.

What if a steel mill could learn? At Big River Steel Works in Osceola, AR, that future is already unfolding.
In this episode of Steel Stories, host David Kirkpatrick talks with Chris Crowley, CIO of Big River Steel, about how artificial intelligence, thousands of sensors, and autonomous systems are transforming steelmaking.
Big River 2 was designed as a “learning mill”, a facility that continuously analyzes its own data to improve quality, efficiency, and safety in real time. From autonomous coil yards and AI-powered safety monitoring, steel production is entering a new era. The result? A steel mill that doesn’t just produce, it learns.

Listen to the Director's Cut on YouTube to hear Chris share a vision for the future, one where customers can track their steel orders like a pizza delivery and engineers can design entirely new grades of steel using digital simulations: https://youtu.be/cl9e-25hwHI