NUCOR-Vulcraft Manager Chris Rice Proud of Grapeland Plant Staff
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – NUCOR/Vulcraft Plant Manager Chris Rice inherited the helm of a true institution in Houston County. The Vulcraft steel plant has seen generations of East Texans pass through its doors. The plant employs 500 people currently. It is part of the NUCOR company based in North Carolina.
NUCOR started in the mid 1960’s with several businesses including Vulcraft in South Carolina. Over a number of years, the company expanded to other locations and established itself in the steel business. Tired of buying steel from third parties, in 1969 NUCOR opened a steel mill to supply Vulcraft. More steel mills were built in other locations, including Nebraska and Jewett, Texas – which directly supplies the Grapeland operation.
The Grapeland plant traditionally took angle steel to turn it into joists. The plant now brings in sheet steel from NUCOR in Arkansas and turns it into deck. Only three years ago, a grating facility was added and all of the grating for the company was consolidated in Grapeland. The plant has the ability to make grating now from both the angle steel or sheet steel.
The company finished 2021 with one of their best years ever due to supply problems around the world causing a steel shortage and increases in prices.
Rice sat down to speak with the Messenger, a sign greeting visitors touted the 475 days the plant has gone without an injury – something almost unheard of in an industrial setting.
Rice worked in several NUCOR locations before coming to Grapeland last year. Rice and his family are thrilled to be living in East Texas.
“I worked in Midland for a while, but West Texas is not East Texas,” Rice said. “We love it here.”
Rice noted that East Texas is not only a great place to live – it has proved a perfect place to find talented new team members.
“I will tell you something that stands out here. At some of the other divisions, it can take a long time to hire people. Here in this area – for the type of people that NUCOR looks for – we find them right away. And it doesn’t feel like it will ever be tapped. The culture and the values here in this community are everlasting. It’s phenomenal.”
“There’s a reason that NUCOR is a special place. It’s mostly because of our culture and our team. It’s not for everybody. And that’s ok. We absolutely look for a positive, can-do attitude. People who are excellent team players. You have to want to do something more than just go have a job. If all you are looking for is a job and a paycheck – and you don’t care about people – it won’t work.”
The safety culture is a big part of Rice’s message to the company. He is proud of the safety record and worries about his people not only at work, but everywhere in their lives.
“We are changing our safety environment. We are creating an environment where we say, ‘No one gets hurt – ever.’ That doesn’t mean just this day or that crew. This team doesn’t get hurt here, they don’t get hurt at home. So when we’re gone, we have created an environment for the next generation – for our kids and their kids – they won’t get hurt. The most stressful part of my job is worrying about someone having an injury.”
As many schools, churches and charities in the area will attest, NUCOR steps in when it can help the community. The Messenger itself has covered some of this charity work, but by no means all. Most of it is done quietly, without publicity.
“That’s a lot bigger than just me,” Rice said. “That culture was here long before me. I promise you, I am standing on the shoulders of giants at this place. I live and breathe it, too. I am passionate about it. We don’t need recognition for it. We look to hire people who care about others. It’s making change in a company and in a community. What we do is so much more than make joists, decking and grating. We’re building a community, leaders – men and women. The steel funds us. We are a business we have to make money. But who we are is much bigger than that.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
