I grew up on the shop floor of a family-owned steel service center. I've spent the better part of 40 years buying steel, selling it, trading it, managing people, and dealing with mills and suppliers. Eventually I started and ran Lewder Steel myself.
I've worked with prime, secondary and non-prime material. I've dealt with aged and difficult inventory, mill claims, sourcing problems, pricing swings, customer problems, and the countless situations that don't fit neatly into somebody's job description.
Lewder Steel did more than $24 million in cumulative sales over its 20+ years in business. Earlier in my career, I was responsible for moving 5,000 to 6,000 tons of steel a month over a two-year period. Along the way I've hired, fired, and led sales, administrative, and warehouse staff.
Today, I step into industrial businesses on an interim, project, or advisory basis when an owner or management team needs someone who's actually done it before. Inventory that won't move. A supplier relationship gone sideways. A claim that needs a second set of eyes. A commercial mess nobody wants to untangle.
Steel is where I learned the business, but most of what I've learned applies anywhere people buy material, make things, carry inventory, and have to sell what they produce.
I don't pretend to have every answer. But I've seen quite a bit, and I'm usually pretty good at getting to the real problem.
Hi, I'm Lew Dennen
STRATEGIC SOURCING
If it exists, I can find it. If you have it and don't need it, I can move it.
OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS
40 years of service center experience applied to your shop floor. I help OEMs fix their purchasing systems and train sales teams to actually close.
INTERIM LEADERSHIP
Stepped into purchasing and operations roles when companies needed proven judgment fast. I've run departments, mills relationships, and vendor sourcing under real deadlines, not theory.
INDUSTRY ADVISORY
Pursuing advisory and interim engagements with industrial owners on inventory remediation, digital transformation, and high-stakes business decisions. Forty years usually means I've seen some version of your problem already.
Let's Talk
Whether it's a purchasing problem, a sourcing gap, or a business that needs someone who's actually done it before, I'm easy to reach.