Supply Chain

• 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.

• CarTech earnings lower than forecast amid deferrals Apr 25, 2013

  Specialty metals and stainless steel producer Carpenter Technology Corp. blames increased customer deferrals for lower-than-expected earnings in its fiscal third quarter.

• CarTech, Universal win contracts with Rolls-Royce Apr 25, 2013

  Carpenter Technology Corp. and Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. have both announced contract wins with Rolls-Royce Plc.

• Steel prices must be at the bottom: Reliance Apr 25, 2013

  Soft demand and weak carbon steel pricing are likely to persist during the rest of 2013, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. executives say.

• Former Taylor Steel salesman Williams dies at 71 Apr 25, 2013

  John B. "Bart" Williams, 71, a former top salesman at Taylor Steel Inc., died April 22.

• Metals shipments, orders up in March Apr 25, 2013

  Primary and fabricated metals shipments and new orders all improved strongly in March compared with the previous month, while inventories were mixed.

• TransCanada defends Keystone XL report Apr 25, 2013

  The U.S. State Department’s supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) on TransCanada Corp.’s rerouted Keystone XL pipeline "strengthened the analysis presented to date" but did not adequately address potential risks, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.