Leeco® Steel, the largest supplier of steel plate in North America, announces
the promotion of Jeremy Rhoads to Regional Operations Manager – Texas and the transition of Bill Mess
to Regional Operations Manager – North & Central U.S., effective June 1, 2026.
Bill Mess, who previously served as Regional Operations Manager for Leeco’s Texas facilities, will now
oversee the company’s facilities in Illinois, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Jeremy Rhoads has been
appointed to oversee all three Leeco Texas facilities.
Leeco Steel named Jeremy Rhoads (left) as Regional Operations Manager – Texas
and Bill Mess (right) as Regional Operations Manager – North & Central U.S.
Mr. Rhoads began his career with Leeco Steel in June 2021 at Leeco’s Joshua, TX facility. He quickly
established himself as a leader and was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor of Leeco’s Alvarado, TX
facility in January 2024, which he has served most recently.
“Jeremy’s promotion is a testament to his dedication, leadership and the positive impact he’s had on our
Texas operations,” said Andy Polka, Vice President of Operations. “I am confident that he will excel in his
new role and continue to make a difference for our teams and customers throughout the region.”
Bill joined Leeco in March 2011 as Warehouse Supervisor when the company opened its first Texas plant
in Joshua. In March 2015, he was promoted to Regional Operations Manager, overseeing Leeco’s three
Texas plants, which he has served most recently.
“Over Bill’s 15-year tenure, his leadership has been instrumental in building Leeco’s processing business
and establishing operational best practices across the company’s facilities,” said Polka. “Bill’s deep
understanding of our safety, logistics and production standards will be invaluable as he takes on
oversight of our northern and central U.S. operations.”
About Leeco® Steel
Leeco Steel (Leeco), an O’Neal Industries affiliate company, is North America’s largest steel plate
supplier, with 10 strategically located processing and distribution centers stocked with carbon, HSLA and
alloy steel plate. Founded in 1882, Leeco is well-known for having deep inventories of steel plate, and
also offers steel plate processing services, including oxy and plasma cutting, drilling, tapping, milling and
shot blasting. Backed by an award-winning safety program and ISO 9001 certified quality management
system, Leeco delivers quality products with unmatched service, including digital document delivery on
all orders and online ordering and order management via its Leeco Pro platform. Leeco supplies large
quantity commodity products to companies around the world via its expert Trading division. Learn more
at www.leecosteel.com.
About O’Neal Industries
With a history spanning over 100 years, O’Neal Industries (ONI), the nation’s largest family-owned
network of metals service centers and component manufacturing businesses, is the parent company of
Leeco Steel. With an estimated sales of $3.4 billion in 2024, ONI is based in Birmingham, Alabama, and
has more than 80 specialized facilities throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.
