A quick update to the steel community regarding our upcoming SMU Steel Summit Conference as well as our Fort Wayne, Indiana Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals workshop. We currently have 584 people registered to attend the 2017 SMU Steel Summit Conference which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the end […]
Construction employment increased by 6,000 jobs in July to the highest level since October 2008, amid a tight labor market that may be keeping contractors from hiring as many workers as they need, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials urged local, state and federal […]
USS-POSCO Industries (UPI) has promoted MD. Amin to Vice-President of UPI’s Commercial Group. Amin will lead the company’s sales and marketing activities. “MD. is an exceptional sales leader with a long track record of success, and he is respected by colleagues and customers alike,” said Michael Piekut, UPI’s President. “I cannot think of a better […]
In this report, updated July 28, we examine the latest prices for iron ore, scrap, coking coal and zinc. To put the raw materials analysis into perspective, we begin with Figure 1, which shows the spread between Chicago #1 busheling and hot rolled coil ex works Indiana through July 21, both in $/net ton. On […]
Construction employment made the biggest gains in metro areas in June with particular strength in the western U.S., according to an analysis of data by the Associated General Contractors of America. The largest losses were in the middle or eastern parts of the country, noted AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. AGC officials noted that inconsistent […]
Ferrous scrap prices are poised to rise in the NAFTA region for several reasons, says John Harris, CEO of Aaristic Services, Inc., and former director of Raw Materials for ArcelorMittal. Harris is part of a panel that will take a deep dive on commodities during the Steel Market Update Steel Summit Conference Aug. 28-30 in […]
U.S. Steel anticipates no delays in customer shipments following an explosion at its Great Lakes Works hot strip mill Monday night, which sent five employees to the hospital. Three of the injured were released, while two were admitted for further treatment. One employee was treated and released at the plant’s on-site medical facility. The incident […]
Bringing a different perspective to SMU’s Steel Summit Conference later this month will be Lisa Reisman, who will touch on the related topics of copper, zinc and aluminum. Reisman, co-founder and executive editor of MetalMiner, will make her third appearance as a speaker at SMU’s conference at 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, as part […]
Written by: John Packard, Founder, Steel Market Update Steel Market Update was incorporated and began selling subscriptions (memberships) of just our steel newsletter during August 2008. Today, we are celebrating our ninth birthday. I want to take a moment to thank our members and those who participate in our conference and workshops. I want to […]
Written by: John Packard, Founder, Steel Market Update Steel Market Update was incorporated and began selling subscriptions (memberships) of just our steel newsletter during August 2008. Today, we are celebrating our ninth birthday. I want to take a moment to thank our members and those who participate in our conference and workshops. I want to […]
Construction spending is suffering from a decrease in public investment said Ken Simonson, chief economist at the Associated General Contractors of America. “Construction spending is still increasing overall but growth has become much more uneven across categories in recent months,” said Simonson. “There has been a steep decline in public investment in nearly all types […]
After a strong start to 2017, global steel prices have trended downward due to weaker demand and falling raw materials pricing. In the U.S., the impending Section 232 investigation has left the market in a state of uncertainty. All the more reason steel buyers should have a strategy for mitigating risk, says Ryan Huff, Associate […]
On Monday, August 28, the steel event of the year will kick off in Atlanta. With less than four weeks to go and 575 steel and manufacturing executives already 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 […]
On Monday, Aug. 28, the steel event of the year will kick off in Atlanta. With four weeks to go and 560 steel and manufacturing executives already registered, expectations are for this conference to truly be the most dynamic steel conference in North America for 2017. Welcome to the 7th Steel Market Update (SMU) Steel […]
“Business negotiation is similar to poker. Just because I may be bluffing doesn’t mean I am morally defective. Bluffing is a universally recognized part of the game,” responded one reader to Steel Market Update’s new “Ethics and Your Business” column. Is the steel business like a poker game? Some would say that bluffing is basically […]
“Business negotiation is similar to poker. Just because I may be bluffing doesn’t mean I am morally defective. Bluffing is a universally recognized part of the game,” responded one reader to Steel Market Update’s new “Ethics and Your Business” column. Is the steel business like a poker game? Some would say that bluffing is basically […]
There are less than four weeks to go before THE major steel event of the year will kick off in Atlanta. Steel Market Update is hosting our SMU Steel Summit Conference, the fastest growing steel conference in North America. Why is our conference so successful? Listen to some of last year’s attendees (click to play): […]
There are but four very short weeks to go before THE major steel event of the year will kick off in Atlanta. Steel Market Update (SMU) is hosting our 7th SMU Steel Summit Conference, the fastest growing steel conference in North America. Why is our conference so successful? Listen to some of last year’s attendees […]
At a Section 232 briefing to the Ways & Means Committee on Thursday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross acknowledged the complexity of initiating broad trade action against imports of steel and aluminum. A “voluntary” agreement to address steel overcapacity was suggested that would allow countries to negotiate a solution to overcapacity and the resulting import surges. […]
U.S. Steel announced the appointment of Kevin P. Bradley as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Bradley will lead all aspects of the company’s financial enterprise, including internal and external reporting, credit, tax and treasury services, investor relations, internal controls and internal audit administrative oversight. He will also assist in developing and implementing the […]
John Packard and Ray Culley of Steel Market Update (SMU) spoke with Michael Smerconish of CNN and Sirus XM Radio on Monday afternoon as we prepare for one of the most dynamic finishes to any steel-related conference program. The title of his presentation is, “How did we get here (politically) and what will it take […]
A shortage of qualified job seekers resulted in only 25 states adding construction jobs between May and June despite strong industry demand, says the Associated General Contractors of America. Forty-one states added construction jobs between June 2016 and June 2017. “Contractors in most of the country say they have plenty of projects booked and would […]
Registrations for our 2017 SMU Steel Summit Conference continue to roll in. With five weeks to go before the conference begins, registrations topped 525 steel and manufacturing executives this weekend. We have more than 240 companies registered to attend and we anticipate we will add more over the final 37 days. The conference, located at […]
Registrations for our 2017 SMU Steel Summit Conference continue to roll in. Five weeks from today our 7th conference will begin, registrations topped 530 steel and manufacturing executives as of this morning (Monday, July 24). We have more than 240 companies registered to attend and we anticipate we will add more over the final 34 […]
Phil Bell is a brave man. The president of the Washington-based Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) has volunteered to serve on a trade panel during Steel Market Update’s Steel Summit Conference next month in Atlanta. He knows full well that his fellow panelists—a trade lawyer, a manufacturers’ advocate and a spokesman for a libertarian think tank—will […]
Trade talks with China this week ended in a stalemate after the U.S. pressed for “more fair” trade terms. The discussions were described as “a frank exchange,” but little if any agreement was reached on bilateral trade and economic issues, according to a senior U.S. official. A press conference following the meeting was canceled and […]
We’re in for a good year ahead, says popular economist Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics, who will be a keynote speaker during Steel Market Update’s 2017 Steel Summit Aug. 28-30 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Previewing his remarks, ITR forecasts another six months of accelerating economic expansion for the U.S., followed by […]
United Steelworkers International President Leo Gerard says the Trump administration’s objectives for NAFTA don’t go far enough. In a statement following publication of the objectives by the U.S. Trade Representative, Gerard said that although the USW has long supported renegotiation of NAFTA, protection for workers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico has been supplanted by […]
Drexel Metals, a custom metal fabricator and portfolio company of Arborview Capital, has been acquired by Carlisle Construction Materials. Drexel, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leader in the residential and nonresidential architectural metal roofing segment with regional facilities in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Colorado and Maryland. Drexel provides on-site rolling of metal panels, custom trim and […]
We’re in for a good year ahead, says popular economist Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics, who will be a keynote speaker during Steel Market Update’s 2017 Steel Summit Aug. 28-30 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Previewing his remarks, ITR forecasts another six months of accelerating economic expansion for the U.S., followed by […]