LORA LARKIN

Office Manager
llarkin@eastlakemetals.com

Returning to the Metals market after a brief hiatus, Lora comes to us with 25 years of experience within the Steel and Aluminum business. Life never seems to slow down for Lora, her husband Les and two sons: Christopher and Eric. Lora owns her own photography business and enjoys crafting & nights out with friends in her “spare time”.

JOE TEMPLE

Inside Sales
jtemple@eastlakemetals.com

Joe Temple is the Inside Salesperson at East Lake Metals. Joe worked for Jupiter Aluminum as a Slitter Operator for 7 years and was the Assistant Plant Manager for Whiting Metals for the last 9+ years. When he’s not working, Joe enjoys softball and golf and being the Worlds Greatest Uncle to his niece, Natalie. He is also a new member of the Hammond Optimist Club.

MICHAEL PUFAHL

Director Of Operations
mpufahl@eastlakemetals.com

Experience within the metals industry: 25 years experience in metals manufacturing including continuous aluminum and discrete die casting.

Family life/Info: Married to Jessi Pufahl and have 5 children and 4 grandchildren.

Other info (hobbies, interests, etc): Spending time with the grandchildren, cooking and camping.

SUE PALMER

Customer Service / Freight
spalmer@eastlakemetals.com

Jupiter Aluminum – Scheduling, shipping & receiving. Worked at a steel mill for 25 years as an Operator Clerk.

Enjoys spending time with my family, especially my nieces & nephews. Likes music, concerts, & flea markets.

JEANNINE KARCZYNSKI

Customer Service Representative
jkarczynski@eastlakemetals.com

Many years in customer service, but new to the metal industry.

Mom of 2, Jeannine enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, and spending time with family while cheering on the Cubs.

KELLY MIELENZ

Customer Service Representative
kmielenz@eastlakemetals.com

Many years as a customer service representative in retail, but new to the metal industry.

Mom of 3, TJ, Jordan, and Kaylee. Kelly is a sports enthusiast (GO CUBS GO) and an avid reader.

BRIAN PATRICK

President
bpatrick@eastlakemetals.com

Operations, Engineering and Business Development executive with 25+ years directly in the metals industry with diverse international and domestic experience serving customers, company and investor interests. Expert level skills in project management, technology and product development, operations, information technology, manufacturing programs, inventory, sales and controls. Impact leader in personnel development, sales programs, operational improvements, legal work and risk mitigation.

Most recently I held the position of COO for a metal building products manufacturer and distributor (www.englertinc.com) I directed all operational facets, procurement, distribution (including multiple facilities operating out of different states) company controls and sales programs. In this role I transformed the company into a highly efficient customer sales focused organization where EBITDA increased from under $1M per year to over $8M per year in a 3 year period. As Chief Engineer of Jupiter Aluminum (www.jupiteraluminum.com) I directed all maintenance and engineering for the company while also lending expertise in many core business areas. My time at Jupiter also included several brownfield and greenfield capital projects along with the $200M rebuild of an entire integrated aluminum facility after a devastating fire.

ALEX GROSS

Owner
agross@eastlakemetals.com

In 1993 I joined Jupiter Aluminum Corporation. I was responsible for the daily operational, fiscal management and production activities for two aluminum manufacturing facilities, developing and maintaining all the production information and accounting systems at each facility. In addition, my role was also integral to most of Jupiter Aluminum’s risk management policies along with developing new business strategies aligning the production capabilities and expectations with sales and marketing information. During my tenure there, I helped to develop an effective and responsive management and operations team that allowed Jupiter to succeed.

With my business partner, and a former Jupiter executive, we developed East Lake Metals, LLC to supply the rapidly expanding market for steel and aluminum sheet products in the Midwest out of a dedicated 170,000 square foot facility located just outside of Chicago.

JEFF CONDON

Owner
jcondon@eastlakemetals.com

At Jupiter Aluminum, I successfully led the management team in restoring the company to lead the industry in profitability and growth. While at Jupiter, we carefully recruited and developed the most successful sales team in the industry. We took the lead salespeople from all of our competitors and added two industry giants who had been the top salespeople in the industry for over 2 decades. This group from Jupiter has become the core of our sales team in our new venture – East Lake Metals. Their experience in the aluminum industry is second to none.

In addition to aluminum, our other primary focus is galvanized / galvalume and pre-painted steel. We’ve focused our activity on producing semi-finished products for both metals – in custom coil sizes and sheets. Partnering with the top building products sales group in the industry, we look forward to meeting all of your metal needs at the most cost competitive numbers in the industry.