The U.S. economy should finish 2017 strong, but the leading indicators point to a downturn in the second half of 2018 followed by a mild global recession in 2019, predicts economist Alan Beaulieu, principal of ITR Economics, who addressed a sellout crowd Aug. 30 at Steel Market Update’s Steel Summit Conference in Atlanta. “You will […]
Seven out of 10 respondents to the latest Steel Market Update market trends questionnaire feel the United States should not withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Less than 30 percent say the U.S. should follow through on its threats to pull out of the trade pact if it does not win concessions from […]
What happens to all those autos ruined by the double whammy of hurricanes in the South? Cox Automotive estimates 300,000 to 500,000 cars were damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Auto-market researcher Black Book puts the total in Texas closer to one million. And millions more could be added to the toll after Hurricane Irma is tallied. […]
A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. In that case, here are a number of photos from our 2017 SMU Steel Summit Conference, which will help those who were unable to attend get a feel for what happened, how many people attended (661 registrations from 309 companies) and the networking that went […]
Millennials are the steel industry’s future and are anxious to solve problems and get results. Attendees who remained for the final presentation at the SMU Steel Summit heard an eye-opening discussion on just what the millennial generation is seeking and how the steel industry can recruit and retain talent from this important demographic. Three young […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, reports that its operations in the Houston area suffered no material damage to facilities, equipment or inventories because of Hurricane Harvey. Many facilities were closed and unable to ship for most of last week due to the catastrophic flooding, but are now reopened and operational. Reliance operates 13 […]
Toronto-based Russel Metals, Inc., has acquired Color Steels, Inc., a service center that processes and distributes pre-painted metals from facilities in Thornhill, Ontario, and Laval, Quebec. David Sanderson will continue as president of Color Steels, along with the current management team. Color Steel’s revenues for the last year totaled approximately $45 million. “This unique opportunity […]
The market’s obsessive speculation over Section 232 and possible new tariffs on steel imports has caused many to miss the big story, said Timna Tanners, research analyst for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “Stop worrying about what’s happening in Washington and pay more attention to what’s happening in China,” she told the sellout crowd at […]
Over the past three days, Steel Market Update (SMU) had all hands on deck for our 7th SMU Steel Summit Conference. The conference was once again held at the Georgia International Convention Center next to the Atlanta International Airport. We had record attendance with 661 steel and manufacturing executives registered compared to 434 last year. […]
SMU’s Steel Summit 2017 kicked off its first full day with heartfelt empathy for those colleagues in the Houston region who were unable to make it to the conference in the wake of destruction left by Hurricane Harvey. The devastating floods along the Gulf Coast and in Houston may have a lasting impact on the […]
Tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 28, the steel event of the year will kick off in Atlanta. With over 650 steel and manufacturing executives registered, expectations are for this conference to truly be the most dynamic steel conference in North America for 2017. Welcome to the Steel Market Update Steel Summit Conference. This is what the fuss […]
The 2017 SMU Steel Summit Conference Events App is now available for all attendees, sponsors and exhibitors to download and use. The App is where you find all the most up-to-date information about the conference, what you work from to network with other attendees, and what you will use to get the speaker presentations after […]
One of the reasons why the SMU Steel Summit Conference is successful and growing at a time when most conferences are not is due to the options we are given through the support of our sponsors and exhibitors. The cost to put on a three-day conference is truly staggering. Nonetheless, one of our goals has […]
André Gerdau Johannpeter has resigned as the chief executive of Gerdau SA, one of the largest steelmakers in the Americas, as members of the founding family exit from the company’s executive management. Gostavo Werneck, head of Gerdau’s Brazil operations, will replace him in January. Also stepping down from their management roles are Executive Vice-Presidents Claudio […]
Driven by a steep drop-off in shipments from Brazil, U.S. steel imports fell 11.5 percent from June to July. Despite the monthly decline, the 3.47 million net tons of imports were still up 6.3 percent compared to July of last year, reports the American Institute for International Steel, Alexandria, Va. Imports from Brazil plunged more […]
ArcelorMittal’s three plate facilities in the United States—Burns Harbor in Burns Harbor, Ind., and Coatesville and Conshohocken in Pennsylvania—have each achieved DNV-GL certification, which will allow the company to expand business opportunities domestically and internationally for its plate products. DNV-GL (Germanischer Lloyd) is a classification society that sets rules and standards for industries, especially maritime-related […]
There are 307 companies registered to attend this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference which begins next Monday. The conference is SOLD OUT and we apologize to the procrastinators out there as we can no longer accept any new registrations. The companies registered are listed below. Those with a (*) next to the company name means […]
More than a billion dollars of financing is headed to Big River Steel. The Osceola, Ark., steel company announced Thursday that it has closed on $1.225 billion of financing that will be used to refinance a substantial majority of its outstanding debt and for general corporate and working capital purposes. The financing includes $600 million […]
Many Americans see the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a contributing factor to the growth of the U.S. economy over the past 20 years and believe the focus of the NAFTA negotiations should be on modernizing the agreement, not withdrawing from it, according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by Livingston […]
Olympic Steel announced the promotion of Terry Rohde to Director of Operations. Rhode began his career at Olympic Steel in 2008 and was promoted to General Manager of the Chicago division in 2008. In his new role he will responsible for all of Olympic Steel’s facilities and equipment. Olympic also announced the promotion of Scott […]
SMU Steel Summit Attendees, Thank you again for registering for the 7th SMU Steel Summit Conference, which is now less than a week away. Here are some suggestions so that you may maximize your conference experience: Download and review the Steel Market Update Events App. We are already using the App and it will be […]
For the first time since Steel Market Update began hosting the SMU Steel Summit Conferences, we have officially sold out the August 28-30, 2017 Conference. This year’s conference, which is our 7th, will be the best attended as we host more than 600 manufacturing, steel service centers, steel mills, trading companies and toll processors, as […]
Zinc prices hit a 10-year high this past week, climbing to $3,000 per metric ton ($1.36 per pound) on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday. By Monday, zinc had risen to $1.41 per pound. Strong global demand and shrinking inventory boosted prices, as well as a shortage of Chinese zinc. The primary use of zinc […]
Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs in the year between July 2016 and July 2017, yet only half the states added construction jobs in the month between June and July of this year amid declining public-sector investments in infrastructure and other construction projects, reports the Associated General Contractors of America in […]
For the first time since Steel Market Update began hosting the SMU Steel Summit Conferences, we have officially sold out the August 28-30, 2017 Conference. This year’s conference, which is our 7th, will be the best attended as we host more than 600 manufacturing, steel service centers, steel mills, trading companies and toll processors as […]
The response to this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference has been overwhelming. So much so that we will close registrations as of the end of business on Friday, Aug. 18. As of Thursday afternoon, we had less than 5 seats remaining to be sold before we reached a standing room only situation. The conference will […]
The response to this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference has been overwhelming. So much so that we will close registrations as of the end of business on Friday, Aug. 18. As of Thursday morning, we had less than 10 seats remaining to be sold before we reached a standing room only situation. The conference will […]
The “woodie” automobile, popular in the 1940s and ’50s, may be on its way back, but in a seriously different mode. Japanese researchers are developing the latest challenge to automotive steel, a super-strength, lightweight product that uses wood as a raw material. Cellulose nanofiber, made from wood pulp, is mixed into plastics forming a product […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel Summit Conference registrations have been much stronger than ever anticipated, and we are reaching a threshold where we cannot physically put more people into the conference meeting area. We are still taking registrations, but we are literally within 20 people of this steel conference being totally sold out. Based on […]
The Nucor Sheet Mill Group, which handles flat rolled products, announced a minimum of $30 per ton ($1.50/cwt) price increase on hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized steel products. The increases are to go in effect immediately, according to the letter emailed to the Nucor customer base this afternoon.