Soul of 78- Donnie Jones Jr
Owner, Southeast Non-Ferrous Alloys
Words by Anna Duncan Owens | Image by Al Blanton
If there’s a common thread running through Donnie Jones Jr.’s story, it’s golf and the relationships it forged. Growing up in Walker County, Donnie spent countless hours on the course at Musgrove Country Club, a place he still considers one of the most formative influences of his life. “Most of my close friendships, and really the connections that got me where I am today, came from golf or Musgrove,” he says.
After playing two years of junior college golf, Donnie had a scholarship offer from Troy University. But fate and a well-timed hole-in-one during a Musgrove Member-Guest Tournament shifted his course when accepting prize money cost him his eligibility. “Back then, if you accepted money from a tournament, you couldn’t keep your scholarship,” he explains. “I was burned out on college golf anyway, so I decided to enter the workforce.”
That choice steered him into industrial sales, thanks to longtime friend Alan Johnson, who helped him land his first position at Air & Hydraulics Engineering. What followed was a steady climb through several industrial sales roles until 2005, when he joined a Philadelphia-based copper distribution company. “I didn’t know much about ferrous versus non-ferrous metals at the time,” he says, “but I fell in love with the pace of selling copper, like the short sales cycles and quick wins.”
In 2012, Donnie took a leap of faith and founded his own company, then called Heavy Metal Solutions and now known as Southeast Non-Ferrous Alloys. Today, it distributes copper, bronze, brass, and aluminum across a wide range of industrial markets.
Looking back, Donnie points to lessons from Walker County and the people who shaped him as the foundation of his work ethic. “My grandfather, Bob Myers, worked the night shift at Gorgas Steam Plant, then built houses during the day,” he recalls. “He was the hardest-working man I ever knew. Watching him taught me what it really means to work hard.”
He also credits his parents, his favorite sports coach, Jim Clark, and Musgrove pros Travis Hudson and Phil Green for molding his character and providing opportunities. “Phil gave me my first job at the pro shop, which was a turning point. It taught me how to interact with people and opened doors I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Today, Donnie stays connected to home as a Musgrove member and through Southeast Non-Ferrous’ sponsorships of local school athletics programs and the annual Foothills Festival.
His advice for the next generation is simple but earned: “Treat everyone with respect and work harder than the hardest-working person around you. Nothing replaces hard work—it’ll take you just about anywhere you want to go.” 78