Steel Products
Steel 101: Intro to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals Workshop
Written by John Packard
November 29, 2018
For almost eight years, Steel Market Update has been working in conjunction with the U.S. and Canadian steel mills on a basic steel training workshop for those involved in the flat rolled, plate and long product steel industries. We have trained in excess of 600 individuals ranging from people on their first day on the job as their first exposure to the industry to presidents of manufacturing and steel service centers who were looking for a refresher course.
What makes the Steel 101 workshop unique from others that may be offered by other organizations and steel mills?
We work with multiple steel mills from around the country, allowing SMU to offer tours of “minimills” as well as fully integrated steel mills. Our Jan. 29-30 workshop will be working with Steel Dynamics (SDI) Columbus, Miss., mill, which is one of the largest flat rolled electric arc furnace mills in North America. The SDI Columbus mill produces hot rolled, HRPO, cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume and has a paint line.- As an independent organization, we do not look at the mill we are working with from a commercial perspective. Our focus is to provide a balanced and objective review of the steel making and rolling process, with the mill providing an opportunity for our students to see firsthand what we teach them initially in a classroom setting.
- We have a diverse group of attendees representing manufacturing, steel service centers and wholesalers, toll processors, steel mills (including the host mill but not limited to the host mill), trading companies, logistics companies and suppliers to the industry.
- We have an exceptional and highly experienced group of instructors who understand the industry from a number of perspectives. We have metallurgists (three), former purchasing managers, former salespeople with mill, service center and trading company experience, as well as executive experience in the service center segment of the industry. John Packard, President & CEO of Steel Market Update, who had 31 years of active steel experience before founding SMU, will lead the team.
- As with any Steel Market Update program, networking is an important part of the workshop. Attendees will be able to interact with our instructors one-on-one. They will also be able to interact with each other and the host mill at a special dinner/networking party at the end of the first day of the workshop.
- All breaks, meals and transportation to and from the steel mill are included. Hotel and transportation to the hotel from an airport or your place of business are not included.
Full details about our January workshop can be found on our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel101 or you are welcome to contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by phone at 772-245-8630 or 706-216-2140.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products
Domestic, offshore CRC prices diverge
The price spread between US-produced cold-rolled (CR) coil and offshore products narrowed again in the week ended Jan. 31, as imports edged higher and US product ticked lower.
US HR price premium over imports widens
Hot-rolled (HR) coil prices ticked up in the US this week, while tags abroad were mixed. The result: the margin US hot band holds over imports on a landed basis widened slightly.
Plate report: Mills pushing price up, but still willing to talk
Repeated mill price hikes this week may have stopped the bleeding and could signal a rebound.
Higher tags expected for February scrap settle
The US scrap market sentiment has become more bullish over the last week. Many districts are telling SMU that the potential rise in prices will exceed the earlier estimate of $20 per gross ton (gt). Several sources have pegged the February market as up $30-50/gt. Here are several regional viewpoints from the trade: In the […]
SSAB, Evraz also up plate prices by $60/ton
Two US plate mills – SSAB Americas and Evraz North America (NA) – have followed Nucor so far in raising plate prices, with the opening of their March order books. The increases are effective immediately for all new orders, both mills said in letters to customers. Evraz NA said it was increasing transactions by at […]