Steel Dynamics gifts athletics

ARC will take company and founder's name

 

Feb. 18, 2010--In recognition of a major gift from the Steel Dynamics Foundation, Trine University’s new field house with indoor track will take the name Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Athletic and Recreation Center in May. 

Keith Busse is a Trine trustee and the founder of Steel Dynamics Inc., the nation’s fifth-largest producer of carbon steel products. Busse has earned some of the most prestigious awards given by the iron and steel industries, and the highest civilian award given by the Indiana Governor—the Sagamore of the Wabash.

Busse founded the Fortune 500 company Steel Dynamics in 1993 in Butler, Ind., setting an international record by building the plant in 14 months with only $280 million. The start-up business surpassed any previous steelmaking effort anywhere in the world.

He subsequently built plants in Columbia City and Pittsboro, Ind. and then purchased the $1.1 billion Omnisource Corp., one of the nation’s largest processors of metallic scrap. Omnisource is included in the S&P mid-cap 400 and NASDAQ 100 indexes. It was named Most Admired Company by Fortune magazine in 2008.

In addition to receiving the top industry and state awards, Busse is a nationally recognized entrepreneur. He was listed in Business Week in 1997 as one of the country’s top 10 entrepreneurs. He was a national finalist in Ernst & Young’s Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997 and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Manufacturing in 2003.

He chairs the National Kidney Foundation Cadillac Open and serves on the board for Junior Achievement and the Community Foundation, all in Fort Wayne; and serves on the board for Northeast Indiana Corporate Council and Regional Economic Development.

A member of the Trine board of trustees since 2003, Busse chairs the Committee on Trustees and also serves on the executive committee. His company provided the steel for the university’s new University Center and for the Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium now under construction. He has contributed regularly to the Annual Fund for scholarships, equipment, and campus improvements.

“Once again, Keith has demonstrated his commitment to education and to Trine University,” said President Earl D. Brooks II. “Enhancing our athletic facilities strengthens our ability to provide comprehensive services to students.”