Supply Chain

• Shale output spurs demand for tank cars May 13, 2013

  Shale plays are making the West a "very hot market" for both the railroads and the tank cars that transport output from energy-rich regions, one railroad executive said.

• Cambelle-Inland to advise China Gerui May 13, 2013

  China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Ltd. has retained Craig T. Bouchard’s Cambelle-Inland as an adviser for its strategic planning and expansion in North America and "around the world," the company said May 13.

• Pro-Tec commissions annealing line May 13, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. and Kobe Steel Ltd. commissioned the new continuous annealing line at their Pro-Tec Coating Co. joint venture in Leipsic, Ohio, on May 13.

• Timken buys Canadian gear manufacturer May 13, 2013

  Timken Co. has expanded its industrial services capabilities with the purchase of Canadian gear manufacturer Standard Machine.

• MoveTran widens steel services May 13, 2013

  Logistics services provider MoveTran LLC now offers "pick-and-pack" services for steel products throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

• Universal Stainless' Pa. plant Nadcap certified May 13, 2013

  Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc.’s Bridgeville, Pa., facility has achieved National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) heat-treat accreditation.

• Ohio Star Forge to break ground on expansion May 13, 2013

  Ohio Star Forge Co. will break ground May 14 on a $20-million expansion project in Champion Township, Ohio.

• Los Angeles-area port costs climbing May 13, 2013

  Los Angeles-area ports, which already have the reputation of being among the most expensive U.S. arrival points for imported steel, are due to get a lot more costly, according to local shipping industry executives.

• Nissan logs $4.1-billion profit for fiscal year May 10, 2013

  Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. recorded a profit of 342 million yen ($4.1 billion) on revenues of 9.63 trillion yen ($116.2 billion) for its fiscal year ended March 31.

• ITA issues preliminary results vs. China valve imports May 10, 2013

  The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued its preliminary results in the anti-dumping duty administrative review on front-seating service valves from China for the April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012, period.

• Cadillac lightweights luxury cars with aluminum, AHSS parts May 10, 2013

  Greater use of aluminum is helping Cadillac reduce overall weight of its ATS and CTS sedans, the luxury automaker said.

• Congress mulls pipeline approval bill May 10, 2013

  A bill aimed at expediting the approval process of natural gas pipelines has been introduced in Congress by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.).

• Tenaris debuts two new premium connections May 10, 2013

  Tenaris SA launched two new premium connections for deepwater drilling during the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

• China faces challenges in developing shale gas sites May 10, 2013

  China faces significant challenges in developing its shale gas reserves, according to Yan Cunzhang, president of the foreign cooperation administration department at PetroChina Co. Ltd.

• Denso starts up Iowa plant to serve agriculture, construction May 10, 2013

  Automotive supplier Denso Corp. has opened a thermal assembly plant and warehouse facility in Urbandale, Iowa, to supply the construction, agriculture and electric power industries.

• Petrobras to double oil, gas production by 2020: Foster May 10, 2013

  Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) plans to double its oil and gas output by 2020 and become a significant exporter of oil, its top executive said.

• Timet boosts PCC but press woes persist May 09, 2013

  Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC) saw a 23.2-percent jump in net income in its fiscal fourth-quarter 2013 thanks to the contribution of its new Titanium Metals Corp. (Timet) unit, even as PCC continues to deal with problems at a key forging press.

• Freeport reiterates support for PXP buy, won’t lift offer May 09, 2013

  Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. remains committed to its proposed acquisition of Plains Exploration & Production Co.’s (PXP’s) oil and gas assets under previously agreed terms.

• Canada has backup plans for XL: official May 09, 2013

  Canada’s Northwest Territories has alternative proposals for getting Alberta crude to world markets if TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline does not get approval, a top government official said at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston.

• Alaska governor backs LNG exports; Mississippi unsure May 09, 2013

  Alaska supports the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), its governor said at the recent Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

• Low steel coil prices a challenge: Hannah May 09, 2013

  The early months of 2013 are proving significantly more challenging for steel distributors, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. chairman and chief executive officer David H. Hannah said.

• Inquiries on conflict minerals rise May 09, 2013

  Regulations on the sourcing of tantalum, tin and tungsten are creating legal headaches in the U.S. manufacturing supply chain, according to panelists at the recent MetalMiner-sponsored Conflict Minerals Edge conference in Chicago.

• Import reliance said harming defense May 09, 2013

  Several congressmen and a retired U.S. Army brigadier general are calling on the federal government to reduce its dependence on foreign-sourced raw materials used in defense equipment.

• Ducommun stock hit by earnings miss May 08, 2013

  Ducommun Inc.’s first-quarter results fell below Wall Street expectations despite a 55.1-percent rise in earnings, sending its stock price plummeting this week.