Leadership Spotlight: Matt Bedingfield

[Image: Matt Bedingfield]

As the President of Wieland North America Recycling—part of the Wieland Group, a 200-year-old global leader in copper fabrication—Matt Bedingfield oversees operations focused on ensuring the recovery and re-utilization of copper scrap, which reduces the carbon footprint of the copper supply chain. He is also the chair of the Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2) board and a member of the Metals Leadership Council, which helps shape our organization’s strategy. Matt’s expertise, approach, and direction have influenced MI2’s focus during our first two years.

When MI2 embarked on its journey, Bedingfield kicked off our first newsletter by emphasizing the importance of uniting the disparate narratives within Kentucky's metals sector. Along with his industry peers, he recognized the need to tell a collective story of the metals industry's value to the nation’s supply chain, Kentucky’s economy, and the thousands of area families employed directly or indirectly through the industry’s strength in the Commonwealth. Matt emphasized a call to action: MI2's mission is about collaborating with all metals industries to connect with industry, government, education, and other stakeholders toward a shared vision.

The Metals Leadership Council helped establish MI2’s initial strategic focus areas, emphasizing industry branding and storytelling, talent and workforce development, environmental sustainability, and tech innovation. These groups, gaining momentum, form the foundation for practical work that fosters growth for businesses in the Bluegrass State.

The journey to Wieland and MI2 for Bedingfield began with an undergraduate degree at Ole Miss, followed by graduate studies at the University of Alabama, where he earned his JD and MBA. Introduced to the industry through a recruiter, he rose through leadership positions at two other MI2 member companies—Novelis and Tri-Arrows Aluminum—before going to work in the copper industry, gaining versatile knowledge in corporate strategy, recycling, commercial business, and global supply chain throughout the metals industry.

Today, at the helm of Wieland's North American Recycling operations, which spans three locations, Matt especially enjoys sharing his experiences with young Kentuckians keen on exploring a metal industry career. He sees it as crucial people to understand not only the job opportunities available but also the career pathways in metals, a passion that keeps people in the industry and often calls them back, sometimes after retirement.

Wieland’s focus on active engagement with students reflects the Metals Leadership Council’s significant focus on our Talent & Workforce strategic focus area. The edict from all our MLC members has focused on the crucial needs around education, talent cultivation, and recruitment, particularly for the metals industry, fostering collaboration among industry stakeholders, higher education institutions, and the Kentucky government.

Reflecting on Kentucky's support for the metals industry, Matt underscores the state's welcoming business environment and the commitment of politicians to prioritize economic development. The central location, access to energy, and positive business partnerships position Kentucky as an optimal hub for the metals sector. Wieland's recent milestone at their new recycling facility in Shelbyville, KY, exemplifies his familiarity with this favorable business climate.

Matt’s leadership as board chair for MI2 has helped shape the organization’s focus and significant milestones in our first year, such as our inaugural MI2 Annual Conference, focused on “The Factory of the Future” and our partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development to publish the first-ever Kentucky Metals Industry Guide.

We thank Matt Bedingfield for helping advocate for collaboration across metals industries in Kentucky and with the greater Kentucky innovation ecosystem. His vision extends beyond individual companies, contributing to the positive evolution of Kentucky's metals sector. As MI2 persists in narrating the metals story, we thank Matt for his commitment to contributing, collaborating, and steering the industry toward a future marked by positive transformation.