professional profile
Closing the Loop: Skills, Sustainability & Stainless Steel’s Future
Cronimet Operations Manager Dominic Maguire has built his career from the ground up, combining hands-on materials knowledge with commercial and operational experience. In this profile he outlines his views on circularity, skills development, local manufacturing and the innovations shaping a more resilient future for South Africa’s stainless steel industry…
Please tell us a little about your background, including where you grew up, your education and how your career ultimately led you into the stainless steel industry? I grew up in Johannesburg and completed my schooling at Trinityhouse. After finishing matric, I took a gap year, during which I started a private cricket coaching business. What began as a small venture grew steadily over the next three years, teaching me valuable lessons in entrepreneurship and managing a business from a young age. Following my gap year, I moved to Pretoria, where I studied towards a BCom degree through UNISA while also completing a certificate in Business Management. During my second year, I entered the recycling industry, joining a waste management company as a sales representative. I spent my time outside class, calling on businesses, building customer relationships and developing an understanding of the recycling sector and its dynamics. In 2012, I returned to Johannesburg and joined a leading paper merchant, where I spent the next six years in the paper and print industry. During that time, I progressed through several roles, starting in internal sales before
moving into warehouse management and eventually becoming Internal Sales Manager. Working across multiple areas of the business gave me a broad understanding of operations, logistics, customer service and commercial management, providing a strong foundation for the next stage of my career. In 2018, I joined Cronimet, where I have continued to build on those experiences while developing a deep understanding of the stainless steel recycling and raw materials industry. Each stage of my career has contributed to the practical knowledge, commercial perspective and appreciation for sustainability that continue to shape my approach today. What have been some of the most significant roles, projects or milestones that have challenged you the most? Looking back, I attribute much of my practical experience to my time in the paper and print industry. Being involved in virtually every aspect of the business over several years provided me with a solid foundation in operations, customer relationships and commercial decision-making, skills that I continue to build on today.
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Issue 3 – 2026
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