James C. Simmons

Mr. Simmons joined the American Steel Foundries Research laboratory as a Metallurgical Trainee and later a Research Metallurgist after graduating from Michigan Tech with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 1966. Mr. Simmons worked on projects related to converting steelmaking facilities from Open Hearth Furnaces to Electric Arc Furnaces due to the 1970 Clean Air Act. He later worked as a Project Engineer, Process Engineer and Production Superintendent for Bucyrus Erie, Calumet Steel and CF&I Steel Corp. While at CF&I he began work towards an MBA at Regis College.  In 1974 Mr. Simmons was nominated to the Electric Metal Maker's Guild (EMMG) and in 1978 he was awarded the Kelly Award by the AISE. In 1990 he joined Electric Metallurgy Company, later called EMC International, Inc. (EMCI) where he held the position of VP Sales and President. During his time at EMCI, Mr. Simmons developed a patent with Kobe Steel for the production of pig iron using DRI and HBI in an Electric Iron-making Furnace. EMCI was a subsidiary of MIDREX Corp. MIDREX was a subsidiary of Kobe Steel Ltd. MIDREX sold EMCI to Techint SPA in 2001 and through a succession of ownerships is now Tenova Core. During that time Mr. Simmons was Senior Vice President Business Development, Member Board of Directors and Vice President Steelmaking. Mr. Simmons was elected a Distinguished Member and Fellow of AIST in 2011. Mr. Simmons remains a Consultant to Tenova Core.