Jay Grubbs
From Intern to go-to MIS team member. Accountability-driven problem solver. Open to learn and eager to teach.
Jay Grubbs’ story at Olympic Steel starts before he even had his diploma in hand. In 2019, while finishing his Information Technology degree at Kent State, with a minor in Application Development, he joined the Company as an intern. That internship ended up being way more than a line on his résumé. It gave him a real foundation, the kind you only get from hands-on experience, and helped bridge the gap between college life and the working world.
“I learned a lot of things during my internship that I didn’t learn in college classes. And, everyone I worked with made it easy for me to transition into work life after college,” explained Jay.
After graduating in 2020, Jay kept building momentum. In 2022, he was promoted to Systems Monitoring Specialist, then advanced to Systems Monitoring Specialist II, and in 2025 reached another milestone as a Systems Administrator II. Each step reflected not just growing technical skill, but a mindset rooted in responsibility and teamwork.
When asked which Core Value he represents best, Jay said, “Accountability. It’s about owning what happens when something goes wrong, not hiding from it. Even if I don’t immediately know the fix, I learn from it and do what I can to make sure the same issue doesn’t happen again.” Those moments, he says, tend to be the best teachers.
That sense of accountability naturally ties into how Jay views teamwork. He sees it as a strength, not a fallback. Reaching out, collaborating, and asking for help when it’s needed are all part of getting things done the right way. When challenges pop up, his first step is to understand the scope: How many people are affected? How big is the impact? If it’s significant, he brings in the right people and works with them to build a plan and resolve the issue together.
A big part of Jay’s day-to-day work lives in the cybersecurity space. He helps make sure malicious emails are caught and isolated quickly, acting as the go-to receiver when someone hits the phish alert button. Some of his work is highly visible, like resolving widespread system issues, while other tasks happen quietly in the background, strengthening security and maintaining systems. Either way, Jay knows it all matters. He says that’s why he’s genuinely happy to come to work each day, because he can see the impact of what he does and knows he’s helping the Company operate smoothly and safely.
“Jay is always willing to go above and beyond to help employees and the Company. He is well respected and known as someone who will get to the root problem and find a solution. His commitment to quality, his work ethic and friendly demeanor contribute to his success. But his desire to continuously learn and his ability to mentor others, combined with his dedication to the Company have helped advanced his career as an integral part of the Corporate MIS team,” says Chris Garrett, VP - Information Services.
One of Jay’s proudest moments so far is being selected to share his I AM Olympic Steel story. It’s a program he genuinely admires, and he’s especially proud to be one of the youngest employees to receive this recognition. To him, it represents not just personal achievement, but trust from the Company he’s grown with since his intern days.
When Jay talks to others who are interested in building a successful career at Olympic Steel, his advice is straightforward: “Ask questions. Be assertive. Say yes to opportunities to learn something new.” He further explains, “Early on, I made a point to ask people if I could shadow them, just to better understand the Company, its processes, and how different roles fit together. Staying open-minded and always wanting to learn more makes all the difference.”
And judging by his journey so far, his advice is worth taking.
