Some of the TLU alumni who work at CMC are, left to right, Russ Rinn, Janet Creswell, Rick Basse, Tenny Hansen, Tommy Heweitt, Nancy Dahse, A.J. Ramos, Joe Panzarella, David Clopton, Adam Sargent, Lorey Houlihan, Edmund Kuempel, Mallory Roberts, Binh Huynh, Jane Donegan, John Donegan, Hoa Tran, and Kurt Basse.

Alumni make CMC strong

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Commercial Metals Company (CMC) has a corporate culture as unyielding as the steel it produces. The firm’s founding fathers established stalwart company values that have influenced thousands of its employees, many of whom are Texas Lutheran alumni and work in Seguin near the original steel mill, formerly known as SMI.

Russ Rinn ’80, executive vice president of CMC and president of CMC Americas, is quick to state that the people who came before him, Clyde and Marvin Selig, and his late father Marvin Rinn ’53, built a solid company on family values and four basic principles known by CMC employees as “The People Program.”

“Everyone at CMC is a member of our family. Similar to TLU, we are a community. We take time to get to know each other,” Rinn said. “It may not always be the most efficient way to get something done. It takes work and effort to establish these relationships, but the payback is well worth the time. We also strive to make CMC an enjoyable place to work, where fun is a basic principle, because if it’s not fun, work becomes a four letter word.”

CMC employees have a strong work ethic and understand the value of putting in a day’s work. Because of the company’s worldwide presence, with locations throughout the US and in 14 countries – including Australia, China, Poland and Croatia - employees who have a broad-based education and who can understand cultural differences and different ways of doing business excel within CMC.

“Many of the qualities of TLU match well with CMC. We are very interested in our people and work hard to help them realize their potential,” Rinn said. “Some of my closest friends and relationships were made when I was at Texas Lutheran.”

Binh Huynh ’80, executive vice president & divisional manager, was a student at the same time as Rinn, but his relationship with Rinn is not the traditional fraternity or football team kind of friendship.

Huynh, a Vietnamese refugee, found his way to the US via a sponsorship through Seguin’s Faith Lutheran Church and Marvin Rinn. Huynh served in the South Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War. The day after the war ended he left Vietnam with his girlfriend - soon to become wife - and seven other members of her family. As a member of the first Asian family in Seguin, the 24-year old freshman studied accounting and worked at the local steel mill at the same time.

“The company’s success comes from dignity and respect done in fun and harmony,” Huynh said. “Part of our people program is the importance of the supervisor. It is my job to advise Russ on the direction I see things going. It may not always be good news, but Russ is willing to listen. You must be honest, never compromise your integrity, and always be willing to listen. It is Russ’ decision on the course of action to take, but he always listens.”

Edmund Kuempel ’64 may be known as a Texas State Representative for 25 years, but it is at CMC where he has spent his entire 44-year professional career.

“I’ve never seriously considered taking a position anywhere else,” Kuempel said.

It was through the CMC family that Kuempel began giving back to the Seguin community when Marvin Rinn asked him to coach his son’s little league baseball team.

“It was Ellie Selig, the wife of SMI founder Marvin Selig, who got me into politics. She encouraged me to get involved with the chamber of commerce,” Kuempel said.

Only a small number of the substantial contributions CMC employees have made to the university are visible. The Marvin Rinn Field House is the most noticeable, but it is the tremendous number of CMC employees’ man-hours, numerous scholarships, contributions to the Annual Fund and support for special programs such as the Guadalupe County Community Symposium that have made the largest impact in the lives of the students and the residents of Seguin.

Through the years, CMC and its employees have contributed more than $1.6 million to TLU - not tallying the tons of donated steel used in many of the university’s buildings. Rinn, Huynh and Kuempel see

growth in CMC’s future. The company has made several strategic acquisitions and is looking for employees to work in the U.S. as well as Poland and Croatia. A new mill is currently under construction in Arizona.

Through a mutually beneficial relationship that has stood the test of time, CMC and TLU continue to grow stronger. With the support of CMC, Texas Lutheran can continue to educate culturally diverse students prepared to work in a global economy.

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