Our Founder

The late Henry Jackson, our founder and visionary, passed away in June 2017. Henry Jackson was a prominent business man and entrepreneur with a long and distinguished career and excellent track record in his community. Henry came from humble background and rose through the corporate ladder through hard work and dedication. Mr. Jackson started his business career with a stint in the Army where he served in Vietnam in 1969-1970. After that he moved from entry level Accounting to higher positions within Accounting and Management in Manufacturing Companies. This was at a time when there existed a glass ceiling for African Americans in Corporate America. Jackson rose from a Financial Planning Manager to the President of a $170 million European Subsidiary of a US Multinational Corporation. Jackson has had extensive manufacturing background as a Senior Executive with both domestic and international assignments for a $700 million US Corporation. Jackson has a Bachelors of Science and Commerce from DePaul University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

The roots of the Millennium Steel Service joint venture date back 12-1/2 years to a meeting between Toyota and Henry Jackson. Jackson was then president and CEO of Jackson Plastics Inc., a plastic injection molder in Nicholasville, Ky., and a Tier I and II supplier to Toyota, as well as other auto and appliance makers. This resulted in a Minority Owned Joint Venture with Toyota Tsusho America Inc. called Millennium Steel Service. Millennium Steel Service is a Tier 1 Raw Material supplier to Toyota and other Toyota related parts makers for one of the most important commodities needed to manufacture automobiles, steel. Millennium Steel Service is responsible for all logistical aspects of the steel supply chain including ordering, purchasing, processing, warehousing and delivery of steel. Toyota as a customer demands a very high standard of quality, delivery (just in time) and service (order accuracy, ability to respond to crises etc.). MSS has been proud to report 100% achievement of the quality, delivery and service targets across its customers for the past 5 years.

Millennium Steel Service, LLC celebrated its 10th year anniversary in 2011. Revenues have grown from $37 million in 2001 to $250 million in 2011. Employee base has grown from 10 team members to 54 team members currently. Millennium Steel Service was ranked as #21 in the 100 Top Black Owned Businesses (Industrial and Services Sector) in 2012 (as per Black Enterprise Magazine, a leading publication that tracks Black-Owned Economic Success) and is the largest Minority-Owned Enterprise in Southwestern Indiana.

After forming Millennium Steel Service, Jackson has been involved in another steel-related joint venture Millennium Steel of Texas, LP, San Antonio, TX, and Synova Carpet, Old Fort, NC. Millennium Steel of Texas, LP performs Blanking operations for the Toyota Texas plant that manufactures Tundra and Tacoma trucks. In the last 5 years, Millennium Steel of Texas, LP has achieved sales of almost $137 million in 2012 and was ranked #25 in the Top 100 Black-Owned Businesses (Industrial and Services Sector) in 2012 (as per Black Enterprise Magazine). Mr. Jackson is a firm believer in starting from the 'bottom up' and hence has encouraged his son Kevin to start at Millennium Steel of Texas, LP from being a line operator. Kevin is currently the Sales and Quality Manager for Millennium Steel of Texas, LP.

Mr. Jackson has concentrated on improving the quality of life in the communities that he lives and does business in. Mr. Jackson firmly believes in sharing his success and encouraging other entrepreneurs, both minority and otherwise, towards achieving success in business ventures. His companies have partnered with the local Minority Business Development Councils and fledgling Minority Companies to develop business partnerships to grow their business. Mr. Jackson currently serves as Chairman of Kentucky Technology Inc., is a member of the University of Kentucky Research Foundation, and is on the Board of Directors of the Fayette County Urban League and the University of Kentucky Fund. He has previously served on the Boards of SECAT, the Blue Grass Airport Authority, the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, the University of Kentucky Business Partnership Foundation, the Chandler Medical Center, and the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees; and was also previously a Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, and a member of the University of Kentucky Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems.

Mr. Jackson's mission for Millennium Steel Service Companies is to provide Steel products and Logistics Services of Unequaled Quality to our customers. Millennium Steel of Texas, LP Companies will achieve this by following the operating principle of being perfect-oriented in all aspects of our business, working towards total customer satisfaction, sharing responsibility through teamwork, mutual respect, and empowerment, and positively impacting the community through service, involvement, and concern for the environment.