Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Written by John Packard
August 1, 2018
A reminder that Steel Market Update readers, as well as those who have attended a past SMU Steel Summit or a training workshop, have a unique opportunity to participate in a webinar about the North American steel market conducted by our parent company, CRU. The webinar entitled, “Mid-Year Update on the North American Steel Market,” will feature presentations from three experienced CRU analysts covering a range of North American economic, trade and flat-rolled steel price forecasts and insights. Any SMU customer can register for the webinar for free, and participants will be able to pose questions privately for speakers throughout the webinar. To register click here.
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peaking of registering, we have plenty of seats available for our NEW steel training workshop: Steel 201: Introduction to Advanced High Strength & Other New Steels. This workshop is for those new to the industry as well as the experienced executives who wish to learn more about what the future holds for the steel industry. This will be a focused workshop and will use new instructors such as Dean Linders of Red Bud Industries, Doug Bernd recently retired from Steel Technologies, as well as AK Steel metallurgists/engineers who will assist as we tour the AK Steel Research and Innovation Center and the AK Steel Middletown fully integrated steel mill. The workshop dates are September 11-12, 2018, in Middletown, Ohio, at the AK Steel Research and Innovation Center. Learn more about the program, costs and how to register by going to: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-201
We have surpassed 825 registrations and are well on our way to 850 executives at this year’s SMU Steel Summit Conference. New registrations over the last two days include: Wahl Clipper Corporation, Steel Distributor, Inc., HSM Solutions, London Metal Exchange, Coilplus, Inc., Telling Industries, Vest Incorporated, CSN, LLC, Feralloy Corporation, POSCO America, AGCO, BlueScope North America, Talos Engineered Products, Titan Metal Service, Inc., Masterack and Doosan Bobcat North America. We have an excellent mix of manufacturing companies, steel distributors, steel mills, trading companies, and toll processors, as well as those who service those industries. If you are not yet on our registration list, you can register by going to: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel-Summit or you can call our office at 772-932-7538.
SMU Note: There is one hotel where we have blocked rooms available. It is the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel and you can make reservations at our $151 room rate by clicking on this link or by calling 888-239-1203 and ask for the Steel Market Update room block. Those at this hotel will have a free shuttle bus that will go back and forth from the hotel to the convention center during conference hours (including our networking receptions), which is located about one mile away from the hotel.
Regarding SMU Steel Summit cancellations – we are now less than one month from the conference. At this point, we will allow companies to replace someone that is unable to attend. We are no longer able to refund monies if you are unable to replace the paid-for person. We will issue a credit for a future event that is good for one year. Once we get inside of one week, we will not be able to issue any credits, though you will still be able to switch to another person. Any no-shows will not be eligible for any credits or refunds.
As was mentioned in the lead article in tonight’s issue, Steel Market Update is celebrating our 10-year anniversary this month. It has been an exhilarating ride and I have thoroughly enjoyed speaking with and getting to know hundreds of people associated with the industry. I have learned a lot about the industry, and I have strived to be as fair and balanced as possible in our articles about the industry.
I have received hundreds (maybe thousands) of emails asking me questions, making suggestions and providing opinions. One of my core beliefs was to be open to anyone who wanted to approach me and that I would try to get them an answer or point them to someone who might be able to help. Your comments, whether phone calls, emails, texts or person-to-person have prompted many articles and, I believe, have made our products more interesting and informative. Please continue to send items of interest to my attention (or ask questions): John@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Thank you to our members for your support and allowing me to have all of the fun I have had over the past 10 years. Your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.
John Packard, President & CEO
John Packard
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Final Thoughts
It’s once again A Tale of Two Cities in the steel market. Some are almost euphoric about Trump’s victory. Others, some rather bearish, are more focused on the day-to-day market between now and Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
Final Thoughts
One of the perhaps unintentional perks of being a trade journalist is the opportunity to travel and cover an array of industry conferences and events. Some I've attended have been at fun locations, like Palm Springs and Tampa, Fla. Others have been in more practical locations, like SMU’s Steel Summit in Atlanta and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) meetings in Washington, D.C.
Final Thoughts
t this point in the game I think what we can say about Nippon Steel’s proposed buy of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel is that it will go through, it won’t go through, or the outcome will be something new and completely unexpected. Then again, I’m probably still missing a few options.
Final Thoughts
President-elect Donald Trump continues to send shockwaves through the political establishment (again). And steel markets and ferrous scrap markets continue to be, well, anything but shocking. As the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote in 1849, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." (I thought the quote might have been Yankees catcher Yogi Berra in 1949. Google taught me something new today.)
Final Thoughts
President-elect Donald Trump will officially retake the White House on Jan. 20. I’ve been getting questions about how his administration’s policies might reshape the steel industry and domestic manufacturing. I covered the tumult and norm busting of Trump's first term: Section 232, Section 301, USMCA - and that's just on the trade policy side of things. It's safe to say that we'll have no shortage of news in 2025 when it comes to trade and tariffs.