Tony Salerno had the unique experience of growing up in the company he would one day own; at just 13 years old, he started working at Steeltech, LLC alongside his father, Gary, the owner. At that young age, Tony would assist with summer picnic duties, painting the buildings at the plant, or cleaning up the company yards. Tony stayed involved with the company through college, also receiving his master’s degree in Business Administration, but he always demonstrated humility, always listening and learning.

When Tony finished school, he began working for the company as director of Business Relations. A lot of different opportunities fell under that title, allowing him to become involved in a number of aspects of the business. He began to prosper, getting involved in visiting client facilities, helping to create marketing campaigns, assisting in financial decisions and labor relations. As time went on, his voice began to have influence in the company's decision-making process. During this time, he also became an alumnus of the YES program.

After being a salaried employee for approximately seven years, he developed a vision for the future growth of the company, which would allow it to thrive financially. In 2019, he purchased Steeltech, becoming president/CEO.

Tony immediately began the arduous process of analyzing data, and determined where to make cuts, eliminate unwarranted overhead, and invest. Thanks to his careful planning, Steeltech has survived and thrived, even with the challenges of Covid and a fire that destroyed a portion of the plant. Steeltech has also re-established itself as a major supplier to the industry by building new relationships and re-invigorating old ones. It now regularly represents itself at industry tradeshows, establishing marketing campaigns and tapping new industry potential. Through it all, Tony’s greatest accomplishment is in the strong relationships he and the company have built with their clients.