Forward

Forward

July 1, 2006

Supply Chain-Logjam

The hard part of the metals business used to be making and fabricating the stuff. Now, simply getting product to its destination has emerged as a major headache. The bad news—there's no relief in sight.

Marmon/Keystone Corp. has the steel, but shipping it is another matter. Truck drivers are in short supply—it takes twice as long (about six weeks) to hire a driver than it did a couple of years […] Read More

May 1, 2006

Believe It—The Computer Age Has Arrived

Service centers are reluctant spenders on information technology. But increasing IT investment could yield benefits without giving up the personal touch.

At aluminum distributor Basic Metals Inc. in Germantown, Wisconsin, the information technology department mostly oversees a software network more than a decade old. There’s a promotional Web site and a barcoding system that isn’t fully […] Read More

May 1, 2006

Acquirer of Choice

Service center operators who want to sell often prefer to cast their lot with Reliance Steel & Aluminum, where Dave Hannah's management style helps keep them on track for consistent profitability.

There’s an aura of “aw, shucks” that surrounds David H. Hannah, chief executive officer of Reliance Steel and Aluminum Co., the Los Angeles-based service center operator. To listen to him talk, you could almost believe […] Read More

May 1, 2006

Who Represents Domestic Manufacturers?

Trade policy is dividing NAM's membership, but the influential organization needs to step forward and take a meaningful stand against currency manipulation.

Pressure is mounting on the National Association of Manufacturers to demonstrate that it is something more than the National Association for Multinationals. So far, the going has been tough for domestic manufacturers who keep hoping […] Read More

March 1, 2006

Short Supply: A New Era of Scarce Resources

China's emergence as a voracious consumer of raw materials has raised concern about resource scarcity. Does the world have enough supplies of essential commodities such as iron ore, copper, molybdenum, oil and even water?

In 1798, the English demographic and political economist Thomas Malthus predicted that spiraling population growth eventually would surpass the planet's ability to produce enough food to support its inhabitants.Malthusians reappear periodically, especially during periods when […] Read More

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