Curiosity leads to opportunity at Alro Steel

Students passing through Grawn Hall last week met with representatives from Alro Steel, a steel service center and distributor headquartered in Jackson, Mich. Founded in 1948, Alro has grown into a leading supplier of metals, industrial supplies, and plastics, with locations across the country.

Corporate Recruiting Manager Jason Young visited CMU to connect with business students and share how Alro’s internship and full-time programs prepare graduates for leadership roles in a dynamic, team-driven industry.

“We’re not a steel mill—we don’t make or produce material,” Young explained. “We buy from the mills and handle a lot of the first-step processing for our customers, like saw cutting, plate laser, and water jet work. Those processes save our customers time and investment, and that’s where our value comes in.”

Alro’s internship program gives students a chance to explore multiple departments and develop a broad understanding of how the business operates.

“We want to expose students to as many areas of the company as possible,” Young said. “They’ll spend time in operations, sales, quality, and safety. We put them in hard hats and safety gear, and they get a real look at how each department works together to deliver for customers.”

Internship roles are primarily open to juniors, while full-time positions focus on inside sales and operations—two areas where new graduates can quickly grow their skills and advance.

“The operations side is really the backbone of our company,” Young said. “Without operations, we can’t deliver on our promises to customers. And inside sales, while it sounds like a sales job, it’s really account management—building relationships and understanding customer needs.”

Young’s advice for students is simple but powerful.

“Be curious,” he said. “Don’t look at a company and say, ‘That’s not for me.’ Ask questions and learn. This is the time in your life to explore, to find your place, and to be diligent about discovering what fits.”

Students can explore internships and staff roles through careers.alro.com.