Steel News

ISG to Restart Burns Harbor Plate Mill

21 December 2004 - International Steel Group Inc. announced plans to restart its idled 110-inch plate mill located at the company's Burns Harbor facility. Prompted by increasing customer needs, the mill is expected to resume production early in the second quarter of 2005 and to employ an additional 80 employees at the Burns Harbor facility, ISG's largest plant.

CMC Reports Record Quarterly Earnings

20 December 2004 - Commercial Metals Co. reported record quarterly net earnings of $73.7 million on net sales of $1.53 billion for the quarter ended November 30, 2004. This is the third consecutive quarter in which net earnings exceeded those for any previous complete fiscal year before fiscal 2004.

ISG Receives Early Termination of Waiting Period for Merger

20 December 2004 - International Steel Group Inc. has received early termination of the waiting period under Hart-Scott-Rodino Act for the previously announced merger of ISG and Ispat International NV.

Allegheny Ludlum Starts up 2nd Danieli EAF

17 December 2004 - Allegheny Ludlum recently started up a second Danieli electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Brackenridge, Pa., meltshop.

Maverick Tube Selects Location for New Republic Conduit Facility

17 December 2004 - Maverick Tube Corp. announced that it will locate its new, state-of-the-art Republic Conduit facility in Louisville, Ky., pending receipt of applicable permits.

Worthington Reports Record Second Quarter Results

17 December 2004 - Worthington Industries, Inc. reported net earnings of $47.6 million on net sales of $745.2 million, and net earnings of $105.5 million on net sales of $1,514.5 million for the three and six-month periods ended November 30, 2004.

Bankruptcy Court Criticizes WCI Steel Reorganization Plans

17 December 2004 - U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marilyn Shea-Stonum filed an opinion late Wednesday concerning confirmation of the two proposed WCI Steel, Inc. reorganization plans previously presented to the court.

AK Steel Announces January 2005 Surcharges

16 December 2004 - AK Steel will add a $205 per ton surcharge for flat-rolled carbon steel products shipped in January 2005, an increase of $52 from December's surcharge of $153 per ton. A $400 per ton surcharge will be added to electrical steel products shipped in January 2005, up $140 from the December surcharge of $260 per ton for those products. January surcharges for AK Steel’s stainless steel products are available on the company's website.

Grupo Imsa Joins Consortium in Slab Supply Contract

16 December 2004 - Grupo Imsa SA de CV has signed a 10-year off-take agreement for slab with Corus Group, U.K., through its facility located in Teesside, England. Gruppo Marcegaglia, Italy, and Duferco International, Italy/Switzerland, are also participating in the agreement. In addition, Dongkuk Steel, Korea, has the right to join the consortium before January 5, 2005.

TXI to Spin Off TXI Chaparral Steel to Shareholders

16 December 2004 - The Texas Industries, Inc. Board of Directors has approved a plan to spin off its wholly-owned steel business.

Fine Particulate Levels Continue to Fall in 2003

15 December 2004 - Levels of fine particle pollution, also known as PM 2.5, were the lowest in 2003 since nationwide monitoring began in 1999, according to a report just released by the EPA. The improved air quality can be largely attributed to EPA’s Acid Rain Program, along with other programs that reduced emissions that contribute to fine particle formation.

2004 Steel Shipments 6.3% Ahead of 2003 Shipments

15 December 2004 - U.S. steel mills shipped 9,326,000 net tons in October 2004 according to the latest data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). October shipments reflect a 0.6% increase from the 9,273,000 net tons shipped in October 2003, and a 1.0% increase from the 9,233,000 net tons shipped in the previous month, September 2004. For the first ten months of 2004, steel shipments were 94,765,000 net tons, representing a 6.3% increase from the 89,169,000 net tons shipped during the same period in 2003.

Oregon Steel Mills to Close Napa Pipe Mill

15 December 2004 - Oregon Steel Mills, Inc. will permanently close its large-diameter line pipe mill located in Napa, Calif., and sell the pipe mill assets and real estate in separate transactions.

Quanex Completes Purchase of Mikron Industries

14 December 2004 - Quanex Corp. announced the closing of the stock purchase of privately held Mikron Industries, for $205 million in cash.

Ryerson Tull Completes Sale of Senior Notes

14 December 2004 - Ryerson Tull, Inc. has completed its previously announced offering of $150 million aggregate principal amount of 8¼% senior notes due 2011.

Canadian Courts Deny USWA Locals Leave to Appeal Stelco Initial Order

13 December 2004 - The Supreme Court of Canada has denied several USWA locals leave to appeal the Initial Order providing Stelco Inc. with protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in January 2004.

Ductwork Failure Slows Production at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel

13 December 2004 - Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. has partially restored electricity to steelmaking facilities following a collapse of ductwork and related equipment on the roof of its basic oxygen furnace building late last Thursday.

Canadian Tribunal Initiates Interim Review of Stainless Steel Bar

10 December 2004 - The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has initiated an interim review of its findings and orders on dumped stainless steel round bar from Brazil, subsidized stainless steel round bar from Brazil and India, and dumped stainless steel round bar from the Federal Republic of Germany, France, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea. The case includes stainless steel round bar ranging in diameter from 25 to 570 mm.

Roanoke Electric Steel Reports Record Year-End Results

10 December 2004 - Roanoke Electric Steel Corp. reported record net earnings of $15,932,971 on record sales of $143,728,167 for the fourth quarter, and net earnings of $30, 446,248 on sales of $479,377,188 for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004.

Material Sciences Plans Engineering Technical Center in Detroit

09 December 2004 - Material Sciences Corp.’s Engineered Materials and Solutions Group plans to open an Engineering Center of Excellence in Canton, Mich., a suburb of Detroit.