SMU Community Chat

Join us for Wednesday's Community Chat with SMA President Philip K. Bell

Written by Laura Miller

January 10, 2025

Philip K. Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), will join SMU for our first Community Chat of 2025.

We’ll talk about what to expect from the incoming Trump administration, the changing trade and tariff landscape, and what it all means for the domestic steel industry.

Please join us on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 11 am ET. You can register here. (Editor’s note: The live webinar is free for all to attend. A recording will be available only to SMU subscribers.)

Why should you listen?

Because SMA is one of the leading steel trade associations in the US. And because Phil is a Washington veteran. He’s seen trade policy evolve and change across the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. That means he has the contacts and experience to give you a good idea of what to expect when Trump 2.0 comes to town on Jan. 20.

Phil’s also got experience in operations – something that sets him apart from just about any other DC lobbyist I can think of. He started his career in maintenance and operations in the 1980s with Elementis Chromium in Corpus Christi, Texas. He later moved into steel and up in the executive ranks at Qualitech Steel (now owned by Nucor) and Gerdau.

In other words, Phil knows his stuff – whether that’s the nuts and bolts of how government power works or what’s needed to power a modern EAF mill.

Join us on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 11 am ET (10 am CT) for what is sure to be a lively and informative discussion. We’ll take your questions too. So make sure to bring some good ones to the Q&A.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. Since 2007, she has held various editorial and marketing positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills. In 2021, after a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel trade journalism, joining SMU in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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