Supply Chain

• Kinder Morgan acquires nat gas service provider Copano May 02, 2013

  Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP has completed its $5-billion acquisition of natural gas services provider Copano Energy LLC.

• ITA seeks comments on administrative reviews May 02, 2013

  The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has given notice for interested parties to participate in various administrative reviews.

• Oversupply weighs on industrial titanium: ATI May 01, 2013

  Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) is looking to benefit from higher shipments of nonaerospace, industrial titanium this year, but might nevertheless reduce its sponge output rate as it moves to avoid surplus inventory.

• US manufacturing activity grows at slower rate in April May 01, 2013

  U.S. manufacturing activity expanded in April for the fifth straight month, although the rate of growth—while positive—clocked in at the lowest level this year, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

• RTI strengthening ties with Airbus: Hickton May 01, 2013

  Titanium producer RTI International Metals Inc. is looking to boost its involvement with Airbus SAS downstream as the European aircraft builder prepares to open its first U.S. assembly plant.

• RTI sells Pierce-Spafford unit for $12.5M May 01, 2013

  RTI International Metals Inc. has sold Pierce-Spafford Metals Co. Inc. to Titanium Industries Inc. for $12.5 million in cash in a deal that underscores long-term strategies at both companies.

• State-owned enterprises muddle TPP talks May 01, 2013

  Discussions on how to manage state-owned enterprises (SOEs) may come under increased scrutiny in future negotiations over what could be one of the largest trade agreements to date—the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

• OSHA accuses pipe supplier of violating safety standards May 01, 2013

  Pipe supplier Everett J. Prescott Inc. (EJP) faces $76,230 in fines for allegedly violating workplace safety standards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced.

• Artco Group consolidates to cater to energy market Apr 30, 2013

  Artco Group International Inc. has merged its Artco Steel and Houston Blow Pipe operations, assembling a unified sales team catering to customers of both entities and offering a broader spectrum of product and service offerings, president and chief executive officer Jeffrey Himmel told AMM.

• L.B. Foster’s 1st-qtr. earnings jump 46.2% Apr 30, 2013

  L.B. Foster Co. recorded net income of nearly $4.93 million in the first quarter, up 46.2 percent from $3.37 million in the same 2012 period.

• Banker Steel expansion set for production Apr 30, 2013

  Structural steel fabricator Banker Steel Co. will begin producing remotely constructed building modules at its 50,000-square-foot expansion in Lynchburg, Va., next week as the company sets its sights on a growing market.

• A.M. Castle's net loss widens to $10.6M Apr 30, 2013

  Specialty metals distributor A.M. Castle & Co. fell further into the red in the first quarter.

• SCM implements 2.5¢/lb. price cut Apr 30, 2013

  Service Center Metals LLC (SCM) has lowered prices on all products by 2.5 cents per pound.

• Noble Energy restructuring to support expected growth Apr 30, 2013

  Noble Energy Inc. is restructuring its operations "to support the material growth it is anticipating over the next several years," the company said.

• Lucas-Milhaupt buys brazing firm Apr 30, 2013

  Lucas-Milhaupt Inc., a subsidiary of Handy & Harman Ltd., has acquired Wolverine Joining Technologies, a subsidiary of Wolverine Tube Inc.

• Chrysler’s first-quarter net income shrinks Apr 29, 2013

  Chrysler Group LLC’s first-quarter net income tumbled 64.9 percent from the same period last year, which the automaker blamed on reduced vehicle shipments because of key product launches.

• Crude-by-rail business gaining speed Apr 29, 2013

  As the volume of crude oil shipments by rail continues to accelerate, more Class I railroads are teaming up with producers, refineries, pipeline and terminal operators, and others to move the product to consumption points.

• Alliance Steel hires sales director Apr 29, 2013

  Alliance Steel LLC has hired Garrett Sparacio as director of national sales to develop and manage the company’s sales across the United States.

• Chrysler investing in Ohio plant Apr 29, 2013

  Chrysler Group LLC will invest $19.6 million in its Toledo machining plant in Perrysburg, Ohio, to increase its production capacity for new torque converters.

• Railroads benefiting from auto growth Apr 26, 2013

  North American railroads say they are seeing the benefits of increased shipments of motor vehicles and auto parts and are preparing to service new factories in Mexico as they look to take advantage of the automotive sector’s growth.

• Bremen aims to supply firearms industry Apr 26, 2013

  An Indiana foundry has launched a new casting aimed at expanding its product mix to cater to the firearms industry.

• Norfolk Southern warns of flooding delays Apr 26, 2013

  Norfolk Southern Corp. has informed shippers that they might experience delays lasting up to 24 hours as floods in the Midwest have forced the company to reroute some trains.

• TransCanada pushes back XL start to second half of 2015 Apr 26, 2013

  TransCanada Corp. has again pushed back its targeted start-up date for its controversial Keystone XL pipeline, and now expects the project to be in service by the second half of 2015.

• Government to auction off Gulf oil, gas leases Apr 25, 2013

  The U.S. Department of the Interior is offering more than 21 million acres offshore Texas for oil and gas exploration in a lease sale.