Final Thoughts

December 17, 2018

We are quickly sliding toward the Christmas Holiday and the New Year. I guess this means I will need to do some shopping (and shipping) over the next 24 hours or lose my good standing as a father…

Over the next couple of publications, we will write about this year through the rear-view mirror. 2018 will be one of the years long remembered in the steel history books. Right up there with 1973-74 and 2004 or was it 2006? This has been a hum-dinger of a year.

We will also report on our last flat rolled and plate steel market trends questionnaire, which we are working on right now. Are the service centers closer to capitulation? We will let you know either on Thursday or Sunday evening.

We have not been publishing our Service Center Inventories Report to our readers. Right now, that report goes to data providers. We have expanded the detail we are collecting as we work toward providing the market a new product. I will tell you that the number of months of supply of flat rolled came in at 2.5 months, down slightly from the 2.6 months reported to data providers for the end of October. If you are a steel distributor of flat rolled or plate products and you would like to work with Steel Market Update on a confidential basis, please contact me: John@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Our next Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals workshop on Jan. 29-30, 2019, is now three-quarters sold out (we have about 8-10 seats available). The workshop will be held in Starkville, Miss., and we will tour the Steel Dynamics (SDI) Columbus flat rolled mill and paint line. The Columbus mill produces hot rolled, HRPO, cold rolled, galvanized, galvanneal, Galvalume and it has a paint line. Combined with our quality instructors, 100+ page workbook and the three months membership to our Executive and Premium level newsletters for each attendee, the class has a lot to offer those new to the industry, as well as those seeking a refresher course or just wanting to learn more. You can learn more about the workshop and how to register on our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/events/steel101

As I mentioned above, we are heading toward Christmas and New Year’s and toward a break for me (maybe) and our employees. Our last publication for 2018 will be on Sunday, Dec. 23. We will not publish again, unless there is something that must be covered, until the first week of January. If you need help during the holidays, send us an email at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com and we will get back with you ASAP.

I am here for the balance of the week and…

As always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.

John Packard, President & CEO