#FavoriteMoments with John Torrano: Insights from the Oil & Gas Industry

What comes to mind when you think of Houston, Texas? Space Center Houston, perhaps. Or maybe country music legend Willie Nelson (from Abbott, Texas) or R&B superstar Beyoncé. Houston also has a well‑earned reputation as a global energy capital, home to many of the world’s major energy companies. And it was here, at the voestalpine HPM Center in Houston, that we had the cameras rolling for our latest #FavoriteMoments video (below)—this time with John Torrano, Director of Sales for voestalpine Specialty Metals North America.

After filming wrapped, I caught up with John to learn more about him, his sales team, and how voestalpine Specialty Metals is serving the Oil & Gas industry during a time of historic change.

John, could you tell us about your role at voestalpine Specialty Metals?

“Sure,” John said. He was seated in his office, the distribution center outside humming with the sound of forklifts and activity. “I’ve been with the company for almost eight years. I started in inside sales and later moved into outside sales. During COVID, I held a dual role in inside sales management and in operations management for our cut‑saw shop. Now I’m Director of Sales for North America—covering the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for the oil and gas segment.”

What makes voestalpine Specialty Metals so special?

I was curious about how John and his team operate—what sets them apart and puts the “special” in Specialty Metals.

“Steel distribution is competitive and often price‑driven,” John began. “We differentiate through quality, safety, and speed. We have internal machining services as well as strong external partners, and that really sets us apart. In the video, I mentioned an urgent order for a customer with a very tight deadline. Missing that delivery window can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per day if a drill rig goes down. Our ability to deliver quickly is critical, so trust becomes a big factor. That’s what makes us so special.”

How does your sales team operate?

I wondered what a “day in the life” looked like for someone on John’s sales team. Were they often out on the road—windows down, Radio 93Q Country blaring?

John smiled at the idea. “Our team’s responsibilities are diverse. We might be dealing with transactional customers simply looking for quotes, or we might be working closely with a key customer on their latest challenge and the related order. So yes, we handle inbound inquiries, and our outside sales and business development team are out on the road visiting customers and creating new opportunities. We also work closely with our marketing team to implement campaigns in our region. We’ve seen some really good results in the oil and gas segment over the last few years.”

Industry trends and challenges

“There are various challenges and opportunities in the oil and gas industry right now,” John told me. “Tariffs pose one challenge and create knock‑on expenses for many. But as an industry segment—and with our voestalpine global network—we’re operating with a global mindset and from a very strong position.”

I asked John about how CPI and Renewables are expanding the Oil & Gas segment.

“Sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint are daily topics for our customers,” John said. “These are exciting times for our team. We’ve been reorganizing and diversifying our portfolio, and major operators are investing significantly in renewable resources. That trend is only going to increase. And of course, all of this ties into our broader voestalpine sustainability platform, inSPire, which supports our customers with solutions that help reduce environmental impact across the entire value chain.”

#FavoriteMoments outside the office

We’d been talking for some time, and I think John would happily have gone on drilling down into the world of specialty metals and alloys—with voestalpine offering over 500 grades in bar, tube, and plate. “It really comes down to providing our customers with a superior yet simple supply‑chain system that saves them time, effort, and money,” John explained. He pointed me to the voestalpine Specialty Metals North America website for further reading, since there was time for just one last question.

“Can you tell us about your #FavoriteMoments outside of work?” I asked.

John smiled as he told me how he and his family do a lot of camping. “We have an RV,” he said. “We enjoy getting away—disconnecting from our mobiles and all the demands of daily life. There are a lot of state parks as you go west of Houston, toward the Austin area and some of the hill country.” With a sweep of his hand, the imagined scenery grew richer: “We’ve got some really pretty lakes, clear water, sparkling streams in winter. You sometimes see trout running. And if you’re real lucky, you can spot a deer in the woods. There’s plenty of country to explore.”

“Speaking of country,” I said, squeezing in a final question. “Is it your favorite music genre?”

“I sure like it,” John said. “My father used to sing and play guitar for us when I was growing up—that was something special. But these days I listen to a bit of everything. And if my daughter has her way, I’ll probably end up at a Taylor Swift concert.”

Would John be an avowed “Swiftie” the next time we meet? And how would the #FavoriteMoments campaign song sound with a rollicking banjo? Those questions will have to wait. I thanked John for his time and for sharing his experience in the #FavoriteMoments video (above), and we agreed to revisit the topic of voestalpine Specialty Metals in the Oil & Gas industry again soon.

Find out more

You can find out more about the voestalpine HPM #FavoriteMoments campaign by exploring some of our other videos:

And stay tuned: our next #FavoriteMoments episode is already in the works — featuring another colleague with a surprising story and a fresh perspective from inside the voestalpine HPM world. You won’t want to miss it.