CEO Today USA Awards

NEBRASKA www.ceotodaymagazine.com 86 CEO Today USAAwards 2018 STEPHEN G. KANIEWSKI President & CEO of Valmont Industries, Inc. FIRM PROFILE Valmont Industries, Inc. is a leading producer and distributor of products and services for the infrastructure and agricultural markets.Valmont began in 1946 when founder, Robert B. Daugherty, combined his $5,000 savings with a wholehearted belief that business could and should be done better. From those modest beginnings, the company grew into a global leader of engineered products and services for infrastructure, and water-conserving irrigation equipment and solutions for agriculture.From lighting and traffic structures to guide the way, to communication towers that keep people connected, to utility structures that power homes and businesses, to irrigation equipment and technology that helps grow the world’s food, we are committed to Conserving Resources. Improving Life®. Four primary business segments comprise Valmont: Engineered Support Structures; Coatings; Irrigation and Utility Support Structures. We manufacture products in over 80 different facilities spread across 6 continents and do business in over 23 different countries. Valmont is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol (VMI).We are passionate about our products. We pride ourselves on being people of integrity who excel at delivering results. We pursue opportunities for growth by taking products and processes to new markets, developing new products for existing markets, and continually improving across the company to ensure that Valmont solutions are always the global industry leader. www.valmont.com ABOUT STEPHEN G. KANIEWSKI Stephen G. Kaniewski was appointed president and chief executive officer of Valmont Industries, Inc. in 2018. Prior to that, Steve was president and chief operating officer (COO) after serving as group president of the Utility Support Structures division and vice president of global operations for the Irrigation division, where he put an emphasis on further developing the global supply chain, deployment of Lean manufacturing processes, and a cost of goods sold (COGS) focus on all plants. Steve joined Valmont in 2010, where he led the corporate IT group. Steve’s career has given him varied experiences in international manufacturing, marketing and IT. Over half of his career has been focused running operations and half in the IT space working with industrial goods manufacturers. During his time at Belden, he served as vice president of Global IT Applications, leading the company’s phased rollout of SAP. Prior to that, he was vice president of operations for Belden’s Specialty Division and country director for Mexico. He worked with union and government representatives to establish new legal entities, obtain tax concessions and establish initial labor and operating contracts with the various government entities. Before Belden initiated a merger with CDT (Cable Design Technologies) in 2005, Steve worked as vice president of operations for CDT’s specialty division in Mexico and the US. Prior to CDT, Steve worked as a technology consultant for companies implementing ERP systems and as manager of fulfillment operations for National Media, a direct marketing company. Steve currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the AIM Institute in Omaha, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting vibrant communities through technology and as a board member for United Way of the Midlands. He received a B.S. in Sociology degree from Santa Clara University in 1994.