Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
April 6, 2016
Late in the day we received notification that Evraz Flat Rolled Group has advised their customers of their intention to take transactional prices (spot) up by a minimum of $50 per ton.
One of the more interesting comments I got today was from a Chicago based service center who reported being asked if he could help export U.S. made steel to somewhere else in the world. Not a normal request of a service center.
I want to take a moment to welcome our newest subscribers (we prefer to call them members) to the Steel Market Update family. As a member company you are entitled to discounts for our various workshops and our Steel Summit Conference. You can also earn credits when recommending another company to become a SMU member ($100 credit which can be used on a workshop, conference or to upgrade your membership to the next level). We also encourage our member companies to interact with us. If you have questions, comments or suggestions (especially suggestions) we encourage you to contact us. We can be reached at: info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone: 800-432-3475. If you ask a question about something outside of our wheelhouse we will try to find someone who can help you.
We understand that SMU is more than just a publication that provides pricing and market intelligence. We want to assist in the education of those new to the industry. We want to help individuals and companies to come together and through our networking contacts expand your business. We know that one of the reasons why our Steel Summit Conference is such a success is we have made it easy to attend, to remain focused on those there and our attendees know that the vast majority of the companies attending are involved in the steel industry with most being decision makers.
Our company has grown because of our members who have gone out of their way to recommend our newsletter, website, workshops and conferences to others in the industry. We do not have a sales force. We do not constantly solicit those on a free trial to become new members. We understand that we must deliver value to all of our customers and we hope that message comes across in each and every issue. If you are not a member of SMU we encourage you to take the leap and become one knowing that if we do not deliver value your investment in us is protected and we will return your fee to join should you be unhappy at any time during the first year of membership.
So, tell your friends. I hope to see you in Atlanta at the end of August for our Steel Summit Conference.
And, as always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, Publisher
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
SMU's hot-rolled (HR) coil price slipped this week to $685 per short ton (st) on average. We also adjusted our sheet momentum indicators to lower for the first time since July.
Final Thoughts
When a mapmaker constructs a map, it’s always to the contours of the land. Or sea. That is, the mapmaker doesn’t say, “Look, these rocks really don’t belong here, so I’m not going to include them in the harbor map.” Uncharted rocks, sink ships (along with loose lips).
Final Thoughts
We had an October surprise here at SMU on Wednesday. I was working from the CRU office in Pittsburgh, and the internet connection briefly went out. As luck would have it, that happened smack in the middle of a live Community Chat webinar. Fortunately, my colleague David Schollaert stepped in, Zekelman Industries CEO Barry Zekelman rolled with the punches – and the show went on. Could there be any more October surprises in store for us and for the steel market?
Final Thoughts
We just wrapped up another Steel 101 workshop, easily the most hands-on industry workshop on steelmaking and market fundamentals, in this humble opinion. Last week on Tuesday and Wednesday, SMU’s Steel 101 was held in Starkville, Miss.
Final Thoughts
Everybody has an opinion about politics these days. More importantly for our readers, though, every business has a bottom line. A popular question in our most recent steel buyers survey asked how uncertainty around the upcoming US presidential election could affect that line.