Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
January 14, 2014
By the way – I think Sandy Williams did an excellent job of following the Ford F-150 aluminum story and providing some balance and depth to her article. We are going to put the article on our Blog and make it available for you to send out on social media to your contacts and friends. This subject, the battle between aluminum and steel, will last for a number of years and it is important for those of us involved in the steel industry that the steel mills ultimately win the war.
One of our articles this evening was sent to us by someone who follows our company through our LinkedIn group (conveniently called Steel Market Update) and our Blog postings. Brandon Hays of Behlen Manufacturing wrote an interesting piece regarding the value of the social media in the steel industry and I highly recommend our readers take a few moments to read what Brandon had to say.
We intend to provide a number of articles in the coming days about what you are missing by no logging into our new website. It’s easy, painless and you may find quite interesting. If you need for us to reset and send you a new user name and password so that you can log into the website please send us an email at: info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or give us a call at 800-432-3475. We are ready and willing to help you get into the website and to show you some of the secrets contained within its walls.
Last reminder that I am speaking at the AWMI dinner in Chicago on Thursday evening at the Erie Cafe. Event begins at 6 PM. Showtime at 7:30.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of next week I will be in New York City at the AHR Expo and at a lunch hosted by Timna Tanners of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. For those attending the BOA luncheon I will be bringing a couple of guests (new blood)…
On February 3 through the 5th I will be in Mobile, Alabama preparing, hosting and teaching at our next Steel 101 workshop along with John Eckstein, Steve Painter, Peter Wright and John Temples. Also attending this workshop will be Brett Linton. Come join us and meet the SMU Steel 101 team.
John Temples will be representing Steel Market Update at the next Association of Steel Distributors regional meeting in Detroit, Michigan. The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 23rd. The next meeting of the ASD will be their annual Spring Convention which this year will be held in Orlando, Florida on March 20-22, 2014. I will be attending the Orlando meeting.
I am speaking at the Toronto Steel Buyers Association dinner in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on March 26th. More details regarding tickets and location to follow. You can also check our calendar on the new website to find information about a number of conferences and meetings to be held throughout the year. If you have a meeting or conference which you would like added to our calendar please send us an email at: info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
Another reminder that we still have a number of spots open for our next Steel 101 workshop. The workshop is being held in Mobile, Alabama on February 4 & 5, 2014 and includes a tour of the SSAB mill located just outside of Mobile. Contact us with any questions you might have: info@SteelMarketUpate.com or by phone: 800-432-3475. SMU member companies receive a $100 per person discount on the cost associated with the workshop. We also offer a $100 per person discount for companies who send 2 or more people to the workshop. Membership in Steel Market Update comes with benefits.
As always we want to thank you for your business which is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
John Packard
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Final thoughts
Sometimes even in a bit of chaos there is complacency. And it seems that since March 2020, “a bit of chaos” has been the order of the day. That means in the world at large, and in steel specifically.
Final thoughts
SMU had the pleasure of attending the American Iron and Steel Institute's (AISI's) annual general meeting in Washington this week. It was a slow week in our nation's capital, so we were able to take a leisurely stroll around the National Mall and take in the sights. Just kidding. In fact, the meeting coincided with significant trade actions announced by the Biden administration. It included, among other things, additional tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.
Final thoughts
Our spot price is little changed this week after moving sharply lower last week on the heels of Nucor’s unexpected price cut. Here’s one thought on that trend: Nucor's weekly HR price (aka, its “Consumer Spot Price” or CSP) has to date functioned almost more like a monthly price.
Final thoughts
What's the tea in the steel industry this week? Here's the latest SMU gossip column! Just kidding... kind of. Yes, some of the comments we receive in our weekly flat-rolled market steel buyers' survey are honestly too much to put into print. Some make us laugh. Some make us cringe. Some are cryptic. Most are serious. We appreciate them all. Below are some highlights from our survey results this week. Some of the comments that we can share with you are also included, in italics, in the buyers' own words, with minimal editing on our part.
Final thoughts
Last week we wrote about a brief lull in price movement, labeling it a period of wait and see. It did, in fact, turn out to be pretty brief. This week... things are little bit different. Perhaps right now we are more in a period of "hope and pray" or "Here we go, hold on to your hats."