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    Analysis

    February 12, 2026

    Final Thoughts

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    The day started off cloudy in Tampa. But by early afternoon on Thursday, the Florida sunshine returned in full force. There was no parallel lag in the content on the first full day of the Tampa Steel Conference. Things got going fast.

    Breaking news came from an SMU Fireside Chat with Barry Zekelman, executive chairman and CEO of Chicago-based pipe and tube maker Zekelman Industries. When asked, he told SMU Editor-in-Chief Michael Cowden he was more likely to end up owning a nuclear-powered boat than a steel mill. You heard it here first.

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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