Steel Products
Seats Still Available for California Steel 101 Workshop
Written by John Packard
November 22, 2019
Virgin steel is made with iron ore, coke and limestone. It was done that way, and only that way, for many decades. Then along came the “mini” mills. So-called minimills recycle ferrous scrap, mixing it with pig iron or other iron units and melting it down in large electric arc furnaces to produce new steel.
The SMU Steel 101: Introduction to Steel Making & Market Fundamentals workshop has been introducing (or re-introducing to experienced managers) the steelmaking process to hundreds of men and women within manufacturers, steel distributors, steel mills, trading companies, toll processors and many companies that service those industries. Nearly 1,000 individuals have gone through our training program, and many of those past attendees have been moving their way up through their organizations to mid-level and upper level management positions.
There are many issues that are critical for anyone new to the industry to understand as well as those who are moving about within an organization. We use our deep pool of experienced instructors to discuss qualities of steel, commodities and their impact on pricing, how steel is bought and sold, understanding global and domestic market fundamentals, identifying risks in the supply chain and many other topics.
Here is the agenda that was used for the first time in our October workshop in Cincinnati, and will be used again in our Ontario, California workshop on Jan. 7-8, 2020. We will visit California Steel Industries as part of the educational process.
| Day 1 | Day 2 |
|
Welcome and Introduction |
Mill Review |
We have an excellent group of instructors who are experts in their field. We have two metallurgists: Chuck McDaniels and Roger Walburn; one sales expert, Sandy Simon; and one purchasing expert, Mario Briccetti. John Packard–President & CEO of Steel Market Update, himself an industry veteran with 31 years of active sales, purchasing and management experience in the service center, trading company and steel mills segments of the industry–rounds out our strong field of instructors.
I thought the class was amazing and very helpful for someone like me that was new to the market. I appreciated the time each instructor took to ensure every question was answered. I’d love to go to another one next year even if it comes out of my own pocket. A+
–Chris Burkepile, Kloeckner Metals
We invite you, and members of your company to attend one of our Steel 101 workshops. We still have a number of spots open for the January workshop in California, and we anticipate having four or five Steel 101 workshops during calendar year 2020 spread around the United States.
You can find more details about our Jan. 7-8 workshop in California on our website: www.SteelMarketUpdate.com/Events/Steel101 or you are welcome to contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com for more information.
Being new to the steel industry I had so many questions! It is hard to sift through all the information found online and not get overwhelmed, but having this seminar is a good starting point to begin more in-depth searches and ask more intelligent questions. While you don’t walk out of this seminar as an expert, you do have a really good toolbox to become one in time. I thank the organizers and will try to get everyone in the company to eventually attend one of these in the future!
– Alejandra Bohorquez, Industrial Components of Texas
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products
US rig count up, Canada declines
Oil and gas drilling activity was mixed this week, according to Baker Hughes. US rig counts expanded for a second straight week, while Canadian activity continued its seasonal slowdown of eight consecutive weeks.
US, offshore CRC prices continue to diverge
US cold-rolled (CR) coil prices declined again this week, slipping for a third straight week. Most offshore markets did the opposite, moving higher this week.
S232 lifts EU HR price over US, Asian HR still well behind
Domestic hot-rolled coil prices were flat this week after dropping for four straight weeks. Most offshore markets bucked the trend and gained ground.
SMU Steel Demand Index dips into contraction
SMU’s Steel Demand Index has moved into contraction, according to late April indicators. The slowdown comes in response to growing tariff uncertainty after the index reached a four-year high in late February.
Nucor selects Fives Group for new galv line at CSI
Nucor Corp. has tapped Fives Group as its partner in designing and manufacturing the new continuous galvanizing line being added at its California Steel Industries (CSI) joint venture in Fontana, Calif.