Supply Chain

• Good start for Grand Steel’s new slitter Jan 28, 2013

  Grand Steel Products Inc., a small but growing distributor and processor, is now in its second month of running a modified slitter and has produced great-quality mults, president Jim Barnett told AMM during a recent plant visit.

• Caterpillar’s record year blemished by 4th-qtr. charge Jan 28, 2013

  Caterpillar Inc. posted record revenue of nearly $65.88 billion last year, up 9.5 percent from $60.14 billion in 2011, and net income jumped 15.3 percent to more than $5.68 billion from $4.93 billion.

• Shell plans to export LNG from Georgia Jan 28, 2013

  Shell US Gas & Power LLC, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and Southern Liquefaction Co. LLC, a subsidiary of Houston-based El Paso Pipeline Partners LP (EPB), are planning to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from EPB’s Elba Island terminal near Savannah, Ga.

• HVAC distributor Gemaire to use Luvata coil protection Jan 28, 2013

  Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) distributor Gemaire Distributors will use Luvata Oy’s spray-applied coil corrosion protection for its entire line of HVAC equipment.

• PCC turns focus back to aerostructures Jan 24, 2013

  Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC), fresh off its $2.9-million takeover of Titanium Metals Corp. (Timet), has turned its eye back to aerostructures acquisitions following a profitable fiscal third quarter.

• A.M. Castle taps four execs to lead new team Jan 24, 2013

  A.M. Castle & Co. has appointed four executives to its new commercial leadership team.

• Notice: E-mail a Friend function on amm.com Jan 24, 2013

  Due to technical difficulties, we have removed the “E-mail a Friend” function from our website and taken away the ability to e-mail comments to colleagues. We hope to have the issue resolved as soon as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.

• Trade groups join forces in safety effort Jan 24, 2013

  The Aluminum Association and the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF) plan to share information in an effort to bolster their metal-powder safety efforts.

• Chen tapped to step up as Airbus China president Jan 24, 2013

  Airbus China has promoted Eric Chen to president, where he will lead the management team of the subsidiary of European commercial transport builder Airbus SAS.

• Correction: Two firms acquire Esmark Technologies Jan 24, 2013

  Due to a reporting error, a Jan. 22 story misstated the ownership of Ohio Cold Rolling Co., which is wholly owned by Esmark Inc. Ohio Coatings Co. is a 50-50 joint venture with Seoul, South Korea-based TCC Steel Co.

• No ‘demand impact’ seen from Dreamliner woes: ATI Jan 23, 2013

  The problems that have grounded Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliners haven’t hurt Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI), the company’s top executive said this week.

• SPEEA union nears vote on Boeing contract proposal Jan 23, 2013

  Representatives of Boeing Co.’s largest white-collar union are nearing a vote on the company’s latest contract proposal, which still contains provisions strongly opposed by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) union.

• ITC says residential washer imports injure US industry Jan 23, 2013

  The U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously in an anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation that imports of large residential washers from Mexico and South Korea are injuring the U.S. industry.

• Rebar fabricator co-op to leverage buys in bulk Jan 23, 2013

  A group of U.S. and Canadian independent steel reinforcing bar fabricators has launched a steel purchasing cooperative aimed at leveraging purchases from steel suppliers and keeping small market players more competitive along the cost curve.

• ‘Challenging’ conditions will continue: ATI exec Jan 23, 2013

  Stainless and specialty metals producer Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) believes "challenging" business conditions will continue in the first quarter "and perhaps the first half" due to uncertainties surrounding U.S. fiscal and global economic policies, its top executive says.

• Two firms acquire Esmark Technologies Jan 22, 2013

  Stahlschmidt Inc. and Bouchard Group LLC have jointly acquired Esmark Inc.’s Esmark Technologies for an undisclosed sum.

• Neb. governor OKs new XL pipeline route Jan 22, 2013

  Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has approved the new route in the state for TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

• Sequa’s Chromalloy unit to shut plants in consolidation Jan 22, 2013

  The Chromalloy unit of Sequa Corp. will close four plants and eliminate 530 jobs, including 200 in the United States, as part of a slated global consolidation.

• Accuride lands new orders after expansions Jan 22, 2013

  Auto parts manufacturer Accuride Corp. has landed new long-term supply contracts as a result of its recent capacity expansions.

• ‘Political games’ weigh down service centers Jan 22, 2013

  Service centers are buying and selling steel—not a lot, but some—as a general malaise settles over the sector, with distributors of bar, tubing and flat-rolled products unhappy about how this season is shaping up compared with past ones.

• German auto parts supplier picks Ky. for new operation Jan 22, 2013

  Kemmerich USA LP plans to invest $12.2 million to establish a manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters in Murray, Ky.

• Marcegaglia, Phillips Metals in marketing deal Jan 22, 2013

  Marcegaglia USA Inc. has signed a marketing agreement with distributor Phillips Metals Inc. to supply stainless and nonferrous tubing and pipe to the domestic automotive industry, according to Phillips Metals.

• Authorities expand investigation of 787 Dreamliner incidents Jan 22, 2013

  Aviation officials have widened their investigation into the cause of a battery fire on a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner after confirming that the battery did not overcharge.

• Two Wis. companies to add coating lines Jan 18, 2013

  Super Steel LLC, a manufacturer of locomotives and freight rail equipment, will start up a contract painting division called SS Coaters.