Man of Steel: A Conversation with Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves

Cleveland-Cliffs is not just a local household name in Northeast Ohio manufacturing and economic development. It is North America\'s largest flat-rolled steel producer and the largest supplier of automotive-grade steel in the nation. Since 2014, Lourenco Goncalves has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs. Mr. Goncalves successfully led four major company acquisitions beginning with AK Steel in March 2020, followed by the acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA in December 2020, Ferrous Processing and Trading Company in November 2021 and most recently Canadian-based Stelco Holdings Inc. in November 2024.\r\n\r\nIn 2023, Cleveland-Cliffs offered to buy Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a merger that would have cement Cleveland-Cliffs as the nation\'s largest steelmaker--bringing more jobs and opportunity to the region. Instead, U.S. Steel rejected the offer in favor of a higher bid from Japanese firm Nippon Steel. President Biden blocked the merger in January, citing national security concerns, specifically the belief that U.S. Steel should remain an American-owned company to support the domestic steel production and strengthen U.S. supply chains. President Trump has also opposed Nippon's acquisition of U.S. Steel.