Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
September 24, 2014
We anticipate closing registration for the Ft. Wayne, Indiana Steel 101 workshop on Friday of this week. We have (once again) an excellent group of companies and people registered to attend with a record number of women attending (11). If you would like to learn more about our Introduction to Steelmaking & Market Fundamentals workshop you can do so under the Events tab on our website or by clicking here. You are also welcome to contact our office with any last minute questions that you might have: 800-432-3475.
For those of you who are interested in potentially meeting with me I am participating or covering a number of conferences and events this fall. I will be in Ft. Wayne for our Steel 101 workshop on October 6 & 7th. After that I will be in Las Vegas, NV for the ASD fall conference which is being held on October 30 through November 1st. Details can be found on the Association of Steel Distributors website.
On November 11-12 I will be in New York City speaking on a panel at the Cowen & Company conference.
I will also travel to Savannah, Georgia for the AWMI annual meeting which is being held on November 13-15, 2014. Details can be found on the Association of Women in the Metals Industries website.
Steel Market Update will also be conducting a private sales training workshop for a service center in Louisiana during the month of November. If you or your company is interested in exploring private consulting opportunities with SMU please contact me at: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
As we enter the month of December there is one more conference I will be attending which is the HARDI conference in San Antonio, Texas on December 6-9th. Information can be found on the HARDI website for those interested in attending.
In January SMU will conduct our next Steel 101 workshop in South Carolina in conjunction with Nucor Berkeley. Exact dates, hotel information and costs will be posted on our website in the not too distant future.
As always your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
John Packard
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Final thoughts
We’ve been writing a lot about sheet prices, and those for hot-rolled (HR) in particular, coming down. Here's one thing that hasn't dropped: The wide spread between HR and cold-rolled (CR) prices. That's what's in a chart below. And I'm using it as a rough proxy for galv and G'lume base prices as well
Final thoughts
Sometimes, words can lead you in interesting directions. Specifically, crosswords. For the last six weeks we have been making steel-themed crosswords in the lead-up to SMU's Steel 101 course in Fort Wayne, Ind., which is taking place today and tomorrow. I’ve learned snippets of steel history and educated myself on the finer points of sponge iron.
Final thoughts
Where do sheet prices go from here? How is the state of steel demand? And is the dip in prices we've seen just a case of the summer doldrums, or is it something more significant?
Final thoughts
It feels like the summer doldrums arrived a little earlier than usual this year. I know there had been rumors of a price hike. The prospect of a sharply lower June scrap trade probably didn't help the chances of that actually happening.
Final thoughts
When you step out of the airport in Phoenix in June, the heat tends to focus your mind. I was in town to attend the Steel Manufacturers Association/Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) annual meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. The desert locale with palm trees, swimming pools, and the obligatory high-powered air conditioning was fitting for 2024. Between the presidential election and the geopolitical situation, things have definitely been heating up.