Service Centers
Grand Steel Names Michael Barnett President
Written by Tim Triplett
May 17, 2018
Michael Barnett has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Grand Steel Products, Inc., Wixom, Mich., transitioning the company leadership from his father Jim Barnett.
“It is with great pleasure, excitement and confidence that I announce Michael Barnett has been appointed president and COO of Grand Steel Products, Inc.,” stated company founder Jim Barnett. “Michael has spearheaded the sales growth of GSP for the last 10 years, while learning the nuances of the steel distribution business from purchasing, production, transportation, accounting and all the aspects in between.” Jim Barnett will remain with the company in an advisory role as chairman.
Grand Steel Products is a flat rolled steel service center and steel distributor. The company inventories and processes a complete line of hot rolled, cold rolled and coated material. GSP supplies material to a diverse range of industries, including construction, automotive, mining, agriculture, furniture, and others.
Michael Barnett graduated from Western Michigan University in 2003 with a degree in finance and economics. He began his career in finance before joining the family business in 2006.
Michael Barnett has overseen the growth of Grand Steel Products, including the purchase of an operations building in 2008, purchase and installation of a slitting line in 2011, and office renovations and additions in 2014, among other purchases and acquisitions. He also assisted in the formation of Barnett Industrial Properties and Grand Steel Transport, where he is a partner. This year, Grand Steel also added a new company within the same property, Steel Testing Laboratory (STL), which performs mechanical and chemical testing for customers.
Like his father, Michael Barnett has been active with the Association of Steel Distributors, where he has served on the board since 2013. “Michael is a champion for a strong domestic steel industry and the growth of domestic manufacturing,” said Jim Barnett.
Outside of the office, Michael has a wife and three children. He is very active with The Friendship Circle of Michigan, a non-profit organization that supports individuals with special needs and their families by providing recreational, social, educational and vocational programming. He is also an active supporter of The Children’s Tumor Foundation with a mission to end Neurofibromatosis (NF), and LUNGevity, the nation’s largest lung cancer-focused non-profit.
As Grand Steel enters its 24th year, Jim Barnett said he is confident the business will continue to grow while maintaining its founding principles and ethics under Michael’s leadership.
Tim Triplett
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