SMU Community News

Steel 101: Step inside a live steel mill

May 17, 2025

Go beyond the classroom with a behind-the-scenes mill tour at SMU’s next Steel 101 – an immersive, expert-led introduction to steel production and market dynamics. Register today!

The lowdown

Join us June 10–11 in Memphis, Tenn., “the Home of the Blues,” and enjoy an exclusive tour of Nucor Steel Arkansas – one of the most advanced mini-mills in the US.

This guided mill tour — available only to Steel 101 attendees — takes you directly onto the floor of a working steel plant. You’ll see every step of the steelmaking process in action, from melting and casting to rolling and finishing.

The spot

Register for Steel 101 and reserve your room on-site at the Springhill Suites Memphis Downtown, in the heart of Memphis, before it sells out.

Why it matters

Whether you’re new to the steel industry or looking to deepen your knowledge, there’s no better way to understand how steel is made than to see it for yourself.

And get the insights and tools you need to navigate the steel industry with confidence. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

Master flat and long product production methods
Understand pricing, trading, and global market drivers
Learn how steel is bought, sold, and transported
Identify key quality control factors
Explore raw materials and coating processes
Compare mini-mills and integrated mills

This is the training your career has been waiting for. We hope to see you in Memphis when Steel 101 comes to Beale Street.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.