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Keynote Address at Birmingham at the Rotary Club of Birmingham

Good afternoon.

It is a real pleasure to be here in Birmingham.

When I flew in yesterday, I found myself looking out the window and thinking…

This land was destined to make steel.

You can see it from the air.

The hills. The ridges. The seams of iron ore and metallurgical coal … and the limestone beneath your feet … that lie at the heart of this region.

Few places in the world were blessed with all the ingredients needed to build an industrial powerhouse in one place.

And that is exactly what Birmingham became.

A city forged from the earth itself.

A city built by people who knew how to take what nature provided and turn it into something stronger.

Railroads.Pipelines.And yes… steel.

And with it… opportunity.

The opportunity to make things…to build things.

That spirit of building… of creating… of continually improving… is deeply woven into Birmingham.

And it is one of the reasons U. S. Steel has been proud to be part of Alabama for more than 100 years.

Now, before I go any further…

I want to thank you all for being here today, especially the Rotary Club of Birmingham for hosting this wonderful event.

Rotary represents something that matters … especially in a place like this:

Service above self. Leadership with purpose. A commitment to leave a community stronger than you found it.

And I also want to recognize the members of Rotaract, and the Kiwanis who are with us today.

Rotary, Rotaract, and Kiwanis are built on a simple but powerful idea: that leadership is not about what you take from a community, but what you give to it.

You strengthen Birmingham the same way steel strengthens America … through service, commitment, and a determination to leave something stronger for the next generation.

At U. S. Steel, we know that a strong company should mean a strong community.

And nowhere is that more true than here in Birmingham.

Now…if you want to understand why U. S. Steel is here… why we've been here for more than a century… and why we're investing here again today…

You have to go back.Back to 1907. The year I was born.

Just kidding.

I was actually born in 1912.

Some of you may know this story…

A financial crisis was spreading across the country. Markets were unstable. Confidence was slipping.

And at the center of it all was a company called Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad.

TCI.

TCI was a giant in the South…a cornerstone of Birmingham….In fact, it WAS Birmingham.

At the time, it was also one of U. S. Steel's biggest rivals.TCI made so much steel here in Birmingham that people called this city the "Pittsburgh of the South."

But TCI was in trouble.Its stock was collapsing.Its creditors were nervous.And if it failed, it wouldn't fail alone…it would threaten the system…it was, as the expression goes, "too big to fail."

Over at U. S. Steel, J. P. Morgan saw the risk.And he had a plan.Acquire TCI.Stabilize the system.Prevent a full-scale collapse.

But there was a problem.The president, Theodore Roosevelt … the great "trust buster," … would not be inclined to approve a deal like that.

I know what you're thinking…a president NOT approving a deal with U. S. Steel?!When has that ever happened?

Anyway…

Back in 1907, everybody assumed TR would say no.

But that didn't mean U. S. Steel wasn't going to try.

So, two men, Judge Elbert Gary and Henry Clay Frick, leaders in steel, got on a train.Not a scheduled passenger train…a single railcar, commandeered in the middle of the night.They rode it straight from New York to Washington, D.C.

They arrived early in the morning, knowing that when the stock market opened that morning, the system could come apart.

They were told the President couldn't see them until 10.But by then it would be too late…so they pushed.They insisted.They made the case.Until finally, Roosevelt walked in.

TR was annoyed … he was pressed for time … but he listened.

Gary and Frick explained the stakes.Roosevelt listened.He weighed the moment.And right there…on the spot…he decided.

Yes!

The deal went through.

The market stabilized.

A crisis was avoided.

In that moment, U. S. Steel acquired TCI.

And we've been here in Alabama ever since.

And I'll admit … I had flashbacks telling that 1907 story.

A decision made under pressure…a partnership between public leadership and private enterprise…a belief that action matters.

Because there were moments … more than just a few moments … when our own partnership with Nippon Steel looked like it was going to fail.

President Biden, in fact, blocked the deal.

People counted us out.A lot of people told us to move on.

But we believed in the future of American steelmaking. We believed in the partnership with Nippon Steel. And we stayed in the fight.

And in the end, like 1907, it came down to a decision at the highest level.

In fact, I had a meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office in early 2025, after President Biden had blocked the deal.And I can tell you, that meeting did not begin exactly the way I hoped.

When I walked in, I looked around the room and saw a couple people I had not expected to be there, including Howard Lutnick, who had yet to be approved as Commerce Secretary, and Peter Navarro, who is well known for being "America First…and only."

Neither of them were pro-deal.

And then the first thing President Trump said was, "You know, I was against that deal before Biden. Biden copied me."

And I thought…well, this is going to be a short meeting.

But as the meeting unfolded, it was frankly fascinating.

The President was on his game … clearly in negotiation mode … moving quickly from topic to topic, putting me in, let's say…an uneasy position at times.

At one point, Mr. Lutnick said the Japanese have a history of trade violations.

Mr. Navarro asked, "Why do you even need this deal? Your stock's going to go up anyway."

The President talked about tariffs…about regulation…about how we didn't really need Nippon.

And I'm sitting there trying to get my points in …the points we had worked on, the points we had rehearsed with Nippon Steel … while the conversation is moving everywhere.

At one moment, we're talking about trade.

The next moment, we're talking about regulation.

The next moment, he's pointing to pictures on the wall.

And I'll be honest … I was concerned.I thought I might be calling Nippon Steel at 4 am their time and telling them the deal was dead.

But eventually, things started to shift.

Because like TR with Gary and Frick … Trump listened.

He listened when I told him the workers of U. S. Steel supported this deal.

Eventually, he offered me a medallion he said was made of U. S. Steel.He asked if I wanted a picture.Of course I said yes.

And as the meeting was wrapping up, he said, "work with Howard."

So I'm thinking…maybe we have a path here.

And right as I'm walking out, in walks Mark Zuckerberg.

I get introduced, and the President says, "That's David Burritt. We're going to be doing some great things with U.S. Steel. That good-looking guy there."

And I thought…you know what…maybe we've got a chance.Because when the President calls you good-looking… that's got to be a good sign.

That was really just the beginning.

Because from that point forward, we were effectively negotiating every single day, trying to get this across the finish line.

We had a big event on May 30th with the president at one of our mills outside of Pittsburgh.Thousands of employees.A major moment.It felt like a celebration…almost like a wedding reception before the wedding.Because the deal wasn't actually approved yet.

That night, when the President got back to Washington, he got off Air Force One.A reporter put a microphone in his face and asked him … "Are you going to approve the U. S. Steel-Nippon deal?"

And he said: "I don't know. I haven't seen the final agreement."

So from May 30…to June 18… we were negotiating.Until June 18…the last day the deal could be approved…the partnership was finalized.

Different century.Different players.

Same lesson.

When it matters…you stay in the fight.And you never, ever give up.

And just maybe…the president of the United States will call you "good looking."

And by the way… "staying in the fight" is exactly how we think about Alabama today.

We're here to invest, we're here to grow, and we're here to lead.

In fact, one of the most important milestones in our transformation happened right here in Alabama.

In 2020, we successfully started up a brand-new $500 million electric arc furnace at our Fairfield tubular facility.

It was a very big deal.Because it represented something larger than a new piece of equipment.It represented reinvention.

For more than a century, Fairfield has been part of the industrial fabric of Alabama and of America.Generations of employees have made steel there.Families have built their lives around that plant.Communities have grown because of it.

And in 2020, we opened a new chapter.

We commissioned a state-of-the-art electric arc furnace capable of producing about 1.6 million tons of steel annually, using advanced technology that is cleaner, more flexible, and more efficient than traditional steelmaking methods.

In plain English, we took a facility with deep roots and … gave it a bright future.

That's why we put up numbers like these:

U. S. Steel produces more than half a billion dollars in total economic impact across Alabama each year.

Our operations here support nearly 2,000 jobs across the state.Almost 1,000 of those are direct jobs: people who show up every day in Fairfield to make steel, solve problems, and deliver results.

And for every one of those jobs…there's another job supported somewhere else in Alabama.

In the supply chain.

In local businesses.

In communities across this state.

We also worked with 328 Alabama-based suppliers.Those are real companies … real contracts…real growth.

We generated millions and millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue, supporting schools, infrastructure, and public services.

And beyond that, more than half a million dollars in community investment… including more than 13,000 hours of volunteer service from our nearly 1,000 employees.

And now, we're building on that.

I hope you've seen the announcement: an additional $75 million investment in our operations here.An investment focused on something that truly matters for America's domestic energy industry: premium threading.

Simply put, premium threading is precision.Premium threading is the equivalent of a precision lock on some of the toughest steel pipe in the world.Each connection is engineered to screw pipes together with extraordinary accuracy, creating a seal so strong and reliable that it can withstand crushing pressure, extreme temperatures, and the harsh conditions miles beneath the earth's surface.

In other words…

It's the connection point where everything either works…or doesn't.Because when you're moving energy across miles and miles…when you're drilling deep underground…there is no margin for error.

Every connection matters.

And honestly…that's true beyond steel.

That's true in partnerships.

That's true in leadership.

That's true in communities.

Because we believe that when you invest in steel, you should also invest in the people who will shape the future.

And here in Alabama, there is no more fitting place to do that than a ballpark that bears one of the most iconic names in American sports history: Willie Mays.

Willie Mays was from Fairfield.He graduated from Fairfield Industrial High School.He learned the game here in Alabama.And he went on to become one of the greatest players ever to step onto a baseball field.

His story is a reminder that greatness can emerge from any neighborhood when young people are given a safe place to play, to dream, and to grow.

Baseball has always been called America's pastime.For some of us … especially old baseball players like me… it is more than that.

To me, it is the greatest game ever invented.

So today, I am thrilled to announce that U. S. Steel will contribute $400,000 to complete the revitalization of the Willie Mays Youth Ballpark in Fairfield.

These funds will help finish new batting cages, renovate the pavilion, and upgrade the lighting so this field can serve young people and families for years to come.

Together, we will help create a place where children can learn teamwork, discipline, and perseverance.A place where friendships are formed.A place where dreams begin.

Because long before Willie Mays became "The Say Hey Kid," he was simply a young boy with a glove, a bat … and a field to play on.

That is what community investment is all about: Building something that lasts.Build that something that matters.

And build something that connects.

We are deeply connected, as well, with our partners at Nippon Steel.

Nippon Steel is one of the most respected steelmakers in the world, and rightly so.

They have deep technical expertise and a relentless focus on quality.They build things the right way.

And what I've seen in working with them … is alignment with U. S. Steel.

Alignment on putting Safety First.

Alignment on quality.

Alignment on long-term thinking.

Nippon Steel understands something fundamental…you don't build a great company in a single quarter.You build it over time, with discipline, with investment, and with respect for the people who do the work.

So if I had to step back…and boil all of this down… I'd say it comes down to three things:

Partnership.

Capability.

Commitment.

First, partnership.

You saw it in 1907.

You see it today.

Public and private leadership working together.U. S. Steel and Nippon Steel working together.

And right here in Alabama.Industry, government, and community aligned.Because nothing we've talked about today happens alone.It happens because of YOU.

Second, capability.That's what this $75 million investment is about.Premium threading.Not just making steel, but making the kind of steel that wins.The kind that performs under pressure.The kind that competes globally.The kind that matters to producing the energy that keeps this country moving.

Simply put: Alabama is helping build America's energy future with world-class steelmaking and premium tubular products made right here in Birmingham.

And that is something everyone in this room should be proud of.

And third, commitment.Commitment to this state.To the nearly 2,000 jobs supported here.To the hundreds of Alabama suppliers we work with every day.To the communities where our employees live and raise their families.

And most importantly, a commitment to the long term.

Let me leave you with what this means going forward.Over the next decade, the demand for high-quality steel, especially in energy and infrastructure, is only going to increase.

Domestic supply chains are going to matter more.Reliability is going to matter more.

And places like Alabama are going to matter more.

Because this is where the capability is being built.This is where the workforce is.This is where the future of American manufacturing is taking shape.

Because this has always been the story of places like Birmingham.

You take what you have.You work with what you've been given.And you build something stronger.

Stronger companies … stronger communities … a stronger country.

And if we do this right… if we stay focused… if we stay disciplined …

They'll see it in world-class steelmaking at Fairfield.

They'll see it in stronger communities across Alabama.

And they'll see it on a baseball field in Fairfield, where young people will have a safe place to play, to grow, and to dream.And where the next Willie Mays may be taking his first swing.

We did it while putting service above self.While demonstrating leadership with purpose.And with a commitment to making this community stronger than we found it.

That's the Kiwanis and Rotaract Standard.

That's the Rotary Standard.

That's the Alabama standard.

For 125 years, that has been the U. S. Steel standard.

And as we celebrate our 250th anniversary, that remains the United States of America standard.

God bless you, and God bless America!