Steel Products
Michael Cowden Joins SMU Team
Written by John Packard
December 29, 2020
Steel Market Update is pleased to announce that on Jan. 4, 2021, Michael Cowden will become the newest member of the Steel Market Update team. Michael will join SMU as Senior Editor where he will bring his experience reporting on flat rolled and plate markets, steel pricing, news and steel-related human-interest stories.
“Michael Cowden is well respected within the steel industry,” stated SMU CEO John Packard, “He has a great sense of what active buyers and sellers of steel need to know, a student of the market ever learning, he is an excellent writer, his intellect, work ethic and passion for the industry will add to an already exceptional team at SMU.”
Cowden joins SMU after spending 13 years at American Metal Market (AMM) where he wrote close to 8,000 articles. During his career, he covered flat rolled, long products, steel pipe and tube, as well as aluminum. In his most recent position, he was responsible for Fastmarkets’ daily price indices on flat rolled (HRC).
Prior to joining AMM, Michael held reporting jobs at the Associated Press (AP) in Pittsburgh and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He also has worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press.
Cowden has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Cowden lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Please join us in welcoming Michael Cowden to Steel Market Update. He can be reached at Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products
Market says cutting interest rates will spur stalled domestic plate demand
Market sources say demand for domestic plate refuses to budge despite stagnating prices.
U.S. Steel to halt slab conversion at Granite City Works
U.S. Steel said it plans to reduce slab consumption at its Granite City Works near St. Louis, a company spokesperson said on Monday. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker will shift the production and processing of steel slabs to its Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh and its Gary Works near Chicago. Citing a United Steelworkers (USW) union memo, […]
SMU Week in Review: September 1-5
Here are highlights of what’s happened this past week and a few upcoming things to keep an eye on.
HR Futures: Market finds footing on supply-side mechanics
As Labor Day marks the transition into fall, the steel market enters September with a similar sense of change. Supply-side fundamentals are beginning to show signs of restraint: imports are limited, outages loom, and production is capped, setting the stage for a market that feels steady on the surface but still unsettled underneath.
Beige Book: US markets remain cautious amidst volatile pricing environment
Sluggish economic activity across the US was largely attributed to uncertainty caused by tariff policies and growing cost pressures, according to the US Federal Reserve’s (The Fed) latest Beige Book report. The Fed’s latest economic report, posted on Sept. 3, consists of economic findings from the six weeks preceding Aug. 25 throughout 12 districts. Economic […]