May 20 is the launch date for a new digital marketplace and online community that aspires to streamline the way steel is bought and sold. The new e-commerce site known as FeLUX.com (pronounced fee-lux) is a digital platform designed to allow users to connect, transact and manage their businesses with greater efficiency. Buyers and sellers […]
Earlier this week I was at the Port of Tampa Steel Conference as I was asked to be the master of ceremonies, and I also moderated the two main panels on Wednesday morning. Both panels dealt with trade issues with the primary focus being on the Section 232 tariffs on steel. The Port of Tampa […]
Cleveland-based Majestic Steel USA, Inc., has acquired Titan Metal Service, Inc., a Tampa, Fla., service center and processor. The acquisition expands Majestic’s business in the coated flat-rolled market and extends its reach in the Southeast, particularly the growing Florida market, the company said. “We are happy to welcome Titan Metal Service to the Majestic Steel USA […]
The 8th SMU Steel Summit Conference is scheduled to begin on August 27th at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta,, Georgia. Registrations are already close to 700 on our way to 750-800 attendees at this year’s event. You can find out more about the conference schedule, companies attending, costs and how to register on […]
Welcome back to those of you in the United States who had the Fourth of July off, but didn’t decide to take a few extra days and extend the holiday. SMU was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in honor of the Fourth and also to give myself a bit of a break having just been […]
I am in London attending meetings with our new parent company, the CRU Group. I have been very impressed at the depth of the work being done by the CRU team. I will be sharing more about the CRU Group in the days and weeks ahead. I do want to stress to those of you […]
The SMU Steel Summit Conference is THE fastest growing steel conference in North America and THE one conference manufacturing, distribution, suppliers to the industry and steel mills want to attend. Details about the agenda, speakers, location and costs, as well as how to register, can be found on our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-Summit or you can contact […]
The chaos to commerce continues in the Houston area as a result of flooding and damage from Hurricane Harvey. Texas Governor Gregg Abbot estimates damage to the area will be in the range of $150 billion to $180 billion. A quick survey of steel service centers and distribution centers in the area found that many […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
This is my gut feeling, my opinion based on what I have been reading and watching in the news like everyone else. The world is trying to figure out if President Trump is going to start a trade war and the first bullets are made with flat rolled steel, pipe and long products. I am […]
I have received a number of comments on the LinkedIn posts that I have put out there over the weekend. I shared our “Black Swan” article on my personal LinkedIn account as well as our Steel Market Update LinkedIn group account. I also received a question about the “average margin for a service center” that […]
I did a whirlwind trip to Philadelphia along with John Eckstein, one of our Steel 101 instructors, for a speaking engagement with a manufacturing company in the area. We provided a hybrid Steel 101/Steel Market Update presentation to a small group of executives. More and more this is something I am being asked to do […]
I did trade emails with trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz regarding the International Trade Commission (ITC) commissioners. I wanted to know if the new president of the United States could make wholesale changes with the commissioners and change the balance of the rulings being made on steel trade cases and others. Mr. Leibowitz told us, “The […]
Part of my talk at the 2014 HARDI conference was regarding galvanized imports which reached 325,000 net tons in October and appear will be approximately 300,000 tons when the November Census Data numbers are released later this month. To put this into perspective, at this point last year the U.S. received 150,000 net tons and […]
Metal Center News published their top 50 service centers based on volume with Reliance Steel & Aluminum taking top honors once again by a wide margin. Reliance 2013 revenues were $9.22 billion up from 2012 revenues of $8.44 billion. The next five service centers are closely bunched with revenues of at least $3.0 billion but […]
Majestic Steel USA, a flat-rolled steel service center located in Cleveland, Ohio, plans to expand its staff by 80 positions in 2014. The family-owned and operated company has entered into a period of what they are calling “hyper growth.” “We’re invested in the industry and looking to hire additional resources to help us take steel […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) participates in a monthly steel conference call with the wholesalers associated with HARDI. The HARDI wholesalers supply the residential and commercial mechanical contractors associated with the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) industry. The wholesalers on this monthly conference call supply or manufacture products out of galvanized sheet and coil and try […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) communicated with Todd Leebow, President of Majestic Steel about their just announced purchase of Flat Rolled Steel, Inc. We asked him how the Flat Rolled Steel, Inc. will be handled, what it added to their company and what plans did Majestic have as they move into the Southwestern section of the […]
Majestic Steel, a flat rolled steel service center located in the Cleveland, Ohio area, announced on Wednesday their acquisition of Flat Rolled Steel, Inc. which has locations/offices in Tulsa, OK; Grand Prairie, Texas (Dallas) and Houston, Texas. In a letter to their new customers, Majestic Steel provided no details of the purchase. Todd Leebow, President […]
Steel Market Update saw a letter from Majestic Steel to their customers publically announcing a price increase. Majestic, which is well known as a supplier of coated products to the HVAC and construction industries, told their customers that the price increase is due to cold rolled base prices reaching as high as $39.50/cwt and $40.50/cwt […]