James Weller, president and CEO of Liberty Steel Industries, was among six victims killed in a plane crash on 29 June near Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Howland Township, Ohio. The accident also claimed the lives of four Weller family members and the aircraft’s pilot and copilot, according to the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation, though the cause has not yet been determined.

Liberty Steel Industries, headquartered in Warren, Ohio, specializes in processing coated, cold-rolled, and hot-rolled steel and provides a range of stamping and blanking services. The company typically holds an in-house inventory of 10,000 short tons, supplying diverse stamped products and assemblies. It operates additional facilities in Lordstown, Ohio, and Saltillo, Mexico. Despite the similar name, it is not affiliated with Liberty Steel, the former operator of a mill in Georgetown, South Carolina, currently undergoing demolition.