Business Topics

The headline number, a negative GDP reading in the first quarter, is obviously worrisome. However, the overall economic picture isn’t as problematic for the steel industry, said Ping Liang, lead analyst for strategic marketing for ArcelorMittal at the AWMI Chicago Chapter meeting in May.

It’s coming up on six months since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden. Yet how it’s going to play out remains something of a mystery to many.

March was Women’s History Month in the United States. But for the five women gathered to talk about manufacturing at the FMA’s Annual Meeting last month in Miami, their gazes were fixed more on the future than the past.

For the first time in decades, the U.S. is confronted with the problem of inflation, as all service center executives are keenly aware. But will 2021’s price hikes carry over into our post-pandemic existence, or will the rising price environment peter out?

The current global trade crisis has highlighted weaknesses within the supply chain and forced the industry to assess, evolve and often transform its operations to meet the needs of today’s marketplace.

Steel prices are falling fast – so fast that I hesitate to put numbers to paper for fear they’ll be old by the time the ink dries.

The Small Business Administration has been a major source of interest over the past 18 months, administering the Payment Protection Program loans that served as a lifeblood for many enterprises to guide them through the pandemic. But the expiration of the PPP does not mean the SBA has run dry as a resource.

The future state of U.S. manufacturing depends substantially on our success in reducing, rather than further increasing, our approximately $800 billion goods trade deficit, excluding petroleum.

One of the highlights of the annual Steel Summit is the appearance of ITR Economics’ Alan Beaulieu. The economist is a fixture at the event, delivering his unpatented mix of helpful advice for business owners in the near-term and harrowing predictions of doom down the road.

A friend of mine shared a story where she brought some important data to light to her C-Suite leaders. She had uncovered some concerning trends and felt compelled to bring up her concerns. However, the response was less than stellar: