NLMK USA crude steel production of 160,000 tonnes was a 94 percent increase quarter over quarter and a 68 percent increase year over year. The jump in production was due to the re-launch of steelmaking at NLMK Indiana after repairs at the end of 2015 as well as from improved steel demand. Capacity utilization improved […]
A worker was killed Saturday at Nucor-Yamato Steel in Blytheville, Ark., during an equipment malfunction. Jon Bishop, 34, was performing maintenance work on a roll mill stand when the malfunction occurred, said vice-president and general manager, Leon Topalian. Bishop was a two year employee of Nucor-Yamato and worked in the Rolling Mill Mechanical Area. The […]
There is still no light at the end of this tunnel except for coated products which have had three months of shipment growth on a tons / day, (t / d) basis. Total service center carbon steel shipments increased by 142,100 tons in March to 3.176 million tons. This increase was driven by the number […]
The Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported Canadian steel service centers inventories dropped 1.9 percent by the end of March compared to the end of February. Shipments of steel (all products) were 392,200 tons and averaged 17,800 tons per day during the month of March. Total steel shipments were 11.3 percent lower than year ago […]
Total steel and flat rolled inventories declined during the month of March according to just released data provided by the Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI). U.S. steel service centers shipped a total of 3,333,300 tons of steel products during the month of March. Based on a 23 shipping days this equates to a 144,900 tons […]
Mill Steel Company, one of the nation’s largest distributors of flat-rolled carbon steel, announced the appointment of Pam Heglund to President. Heglund will be the first female president of a steel service center of this size. Heglund was Mill Steel’s first intern, starting at the company in 2000 and serving the past five years as […]
US Steel CEO Mario Longhi criticized the European Union and United Kingdom for being “negligent” in in addressing dumping of steel from China and blamed the UK steel crisis on “misguided policies.” In an interview with the Financial Times, Longhi said the willingness of the British government to grant market economy status to China will […]
The Association of Steel Distributors (ASD), which in March celebrated its 73rd anniversary, swore in Andrew (Andy) Gross, President & CEO of Alliance Steel as the new President of the ASD during its spring meeting held in Naples, Florida earlier this month. The new ASD president told SMU that he wants to expand the exposure […]
Manufacturing companies were almost unanimous when asked what service centers were doing with prices to them right now. Eighty one percent of the manufacturing companies responding to our survey reported distributors as raising prices. As you can see by the graphic below this is a tremendous change in price direction and market pricing momentum. It […]
With lead times extended and supply constrained any surprise outages, or the rumor of an outage, could have a dramatic impact on an already spooked flat rolled market. On Sunday, US Steel suffered a short term unexpected outage on their largest blast furnace, #14 at Gary Works. The two day outage is projected to have […]
US Steel will lay off about 25 percent of its salaried workers in its latest cost cutting effort. It is estimated about 750 employees in the 3,000 North American salaried positions will be laid off. “This is part of the ongoing adjustment to staff levels and operations due to challenging market conditions, including fluctuating oil […]
The formal sale process for Tata Steel’s UK assets will begin on Monday and will last a reasonable amount of time, according to UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid. Several potential bidders have already come forward said Javid, adding that he hoped “many, many more” would do so. Liberty House, an international metals group, has been […]
Still no contract agreement for USW workers at ArcelorMittal who continue to work under terms of the previous labor contract that expired on September 1, 2015. In a text message update on March 18 the USW said the Committee was still bargaining over a few remaining important issues committee and that “unfair ArcelorMittal demands still […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. has acquired custom sheet metal fabricator Best Manufacturing as of April 1, 2016. The company will operate as wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance with current management remaining in place. Headquartered in Jones Arkansas, Best Manufacturing provides various precision fabrication services including laser cutting, shearing, CNC punching, CNC forming and rolling, as […]
Essar Steel Algoma announced that it has entered Phase Two of the Sale and Investment Solicitation Process. The company reports receiving “several bids” in the first phase of the sale. During the second phase of the process, qualified bidders will be invited to a management presentation and participate in on-site tours and inspection of the […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. has acquired custom sheet metal fabricator Best Manufacturing as of April 1, 2016. The company will operate as wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance with current management remaining in place. Headquartered in Jones Arkansas, Best Manufacturing provides various precision fabrication services including laser cutting, shearing, CNC punching, CNC forming and rolling, as […]
German steel giant and elevator manufacturer Thyssenkrupp is back in steel industry news again. The company will take full ownership of Companhia Siderúrgica do Atlantico (CSA) from Brazilian mining company Vale SA. Vale owns 27 percent of CSA and plans to sell it to Thyssenkrupp AG for a “symbolic price” while remaining sole supplier of […]
ArcelorMittal has idled the hot strip mill at Indiana Harbor East Chicago but will not lay off the 300 affected workers. United Steelworkers District 7 Director Mike Millsap said the union is working to re-assign workers to East Chicago, Burns Harbor or Riverdale. ArcelorMittal spokeswoman Mary Beth Holdford said the company “expects to optimize our […]
We know our readers enjoy hearing comments from those with whom we speak on a regular basis regarding market trends and pricing. We have had an active week heading into the first full week of April so here are some of the things our readers and sources are talking about during the last week of […]
Tata Steel’s exit from the United Kingdom may be a precursor to a merger with Thyssenkrupp. Wall Street Journal reports Tata and Thyssenkrupp have been in high-level talks for more than a year about combining their European steel operations. Whether the two companies are considering a buyout or forming a joint venture is unclear at […]
Essar Steel Algoma and USW Local 2724 have agreed to extend bargaining discussions during the sales and solicitation process. A joint press release from Essar Steel Algoma and USW Local 2724 follows: SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO – Essar Steel Algoma Inc., the USW and its Local 2724 have agreed to extend bargaining discussions in light […]
Nucor plans to invest $4.4 million in its Decatur steel manufacturing plant to upgrade the hot metal pickle line. On Monday, the Decatur Industrial Development Board approved an abatement of about $117,545 in non-educational state, city and county taxes over a 10-year period for the project. “We appreciate Nucor’s continued investment in their Decatur operations […]
Tata Steel announced yesterday that it will consider selling off all of its British operations. In a review of its UK operations, the Tata Steel Board concluded that due to deteriorating financial performance in the past twelve months the company will “explore all options for portfolio restructuring including the potential divestment of Tata Steel UK, […]
AK Steel will get help to restart the Ashland Works furnace from Kentucky legislators. The state Senate passed a house bill on Tuesday that would extend economic incentives from a 2014 measure to help AK Steel refurbish and restart the idled blast furnace at Ashland. The incentives were due to expire in July. AK Steel […]
Bank lenders to Essar Steel Group have approached Tata Steel and JSW Steel to buy out the company according to sources quoted by CNBC. Bankers took matters in their own hands after expressing concern that Essar Steel cannot pay back Rs 40,000 crore (about $6 billion) in loans to State Bank of India and other […]
Bohai Steel Possible Test Case for China Steel Industry Restructuring The slowdown in China’s economy along with the push to reduce excess steel capacity is putting financial stress on the country’s banking system. Bohai Steel Group Co., a fully state-owned steel producer in the Tianjin province, is one of those who are struggling to make […]
Japan steelmaker JFE Holdings and Nucor Corp reportedly are in talks to build a jointly run steel plant in Mexico. JFE plans to invest $264 million in the project, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. The plant will have an annual capacity of 400,000 tons and will service the Mexican auto industry, supplying steel for […]
Worthington Industries reported net sales of $647.1 million for third quarter 2016, ending February 29. Sales were down from second quarter and year over year as a result of lower volume in Pressure Cylinders and Engineered Cabs, combined with lower average selling prices in Steel Processing due to a decline in the market price of […]
ArcelorMittal announced it will sell its LaPlace and Vinton Long Carbon steel facilities to an affiliate of Black Diamond Capital Management. The LaPlace Louisiana mini-mill includes an electric arc furnace, ladle metallurgy station, two four-strand continuous billet casters, and a fifteen-stand Danieli medium section mill. The LaPlace facility, along with a rolling mill in Harriman, […]
“Welcome to March Madness..,” is what one HARDI member company had to say during the March 2016 HARDI galvanized steel conference call held earlier today. He went on to say, “Brackets are an indication of what we are seeing – a lot of chaos out there… The [index name removed] base price is up 23 […]