Steel News

ISG Program Restores Partial Benefits to Bankruptcy-Stranded Union Retirees

10 January 2005 - Retirees who lost health care benefits in four steel company bankruptcies will have a measure of that coverage restored March 1, thanks to an innovative trust fund bargained by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and International Steel Group, Inc.

Bayou Steel Reports Fiscal 2004 Results

07 January 2005 - Bayou Steel Corp. reported net income of $29.8 million on sales of $240.8 million for the year ending September 30, 2004. Results included income reported by Bayou Steel’s predecessor prior to the company’s emergence from bankruptcy on February 18, 2004.

Seven Potential Bidders Move on to Phase Two of Stelco Sale Process

05 January 2005 - Six parties have demonstrated their interest in participating in Stelco Inc.’s Court-approved capital raising process for its core integrated steel business by submitting detailed proposals by the December 31, 2004 deadline.

Universal Stainless to Increase Base Prices

05 January 2005 - Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc. announced base price increases of 5% on all air melted and 7% on all remelted steels, effective with shipments scheduled for January 17.

AK Steel Makes Voluntary Pension Trust Fund Contribution

05 January 2005 - AK Steel made a $150 million voluntary contribution to its pension trust fund on January 3, 2005. The voluntary contribution applies toward approximately $300 million of pension funding that otherwise would be required in 2006.

Cleveland-Cliffs Announces Convertibility of Preferred Stock

03 January 2005 - Holders of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.’s 3.25% redeemable cumulative convertible perpetual preferred stock may surrender stock for conversion at any time during the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2005, thanks to satisfaction of a condition to the conversion right. The condition was satisfied because the closing share price of Cleveland-Cliffs' common shares exceeded 110% of the then-applicable conversion price of the preferred stock for at least 20 of the last 30 trading days of the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2004.

SMS Mevac to Supply Three RH Units for Anshan

01 January 2005 - Anshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., P.R. China, recently placed an order with SMS Mevac GmbH, Germany, to supply three more RH recirculation degassers.

Posco Employees Support Wide Range of Volunteer Activities

01 January 2005 - Under the slogan, "Sharing love and hope", Posco practices altruism through a variety of community service activities that comprise a part of Posco's Corporate Sustainability Management (CSM).

SMS Demag Innse to Supply Inline Skinpass Mill for TKAST

01 January 2005 - ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni SpA (TKAST), Italy, has placed an order with SMS Demag Innse SpA, Italy, for an inline skinpass mill and associated equipment. The mill will be installed at the exit side of the existing cold strip anneal and pickle line.

Magnum Metal Process Inaugurates New Office

01 January 2005 - Value-engineered solutions provider Magnum Integrated Technologies Inc. recently opened a new office in Pune, India, as part of the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Magnum Metal Process Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Mittal Steel Announces US$3.2 Billion Credit Facility

01 January 2005 - Newly formed Mittal Steel Co. NV announced that it has mandated ABN AMRO, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Bank AG London and HSBC Bank plc (as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners) and CSFB and UBS Limited (as Mandated Lead Arrangers) to arrange a US$3.2 billion unsecured revolving credit facility. The credit facility has been fully underwritten by the Mandated Lead Arrangers. It is expected to launch to the market at the end of January.

SMS Demag to Provide Flying Crank Shear for Cockerill Sambre

01 January 2005 - Cockerill Sambre (Arcelor Group), Belgium, has purchased a modern flying crank shear and a scrap sorting facility from SMS Demag, Germany. The equipment will be installed at the company’s Kessales site in Liège, Belgium.

VAI Reports Strong Order Book for January

01 January 2005 - Building on its record year 2004, VAI has continued its successful business development at the beginning of 2005. As Gerhard Falch, Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH Chairman and Vice-Chairman of VA Technologie AG explains, “Due to the taking effect of the major orders from Hadeed worth around EUR 340 million, negotiated and agreed upon in October 2004, and other contracts worth more than EUR 160 million from Saudi Arabia, the CIS, China, Iran, Poland and Turkey, VAI can already point to an order intake in January 2005 of over EUR 500 million.”

Posco Speeds Up Implementation of Innovative Strategies

01 January 2005 - In an effort to create a world-class corporate culture, Posco continues to implement activities that will help spur innovation in daily business activities.

Arcelor Acquires 100% Stake in Stahlwerke Bremen Subsidiary

01 January 2005 - Arcelor has agreed with Bremer Investitions-Gesellschaft (BIG), the minority shareholder of its subsidiary Stahlwerke Bremen (SWB), on the acquisition by Arcelor of the 30.3% stake that BIG holds in SWB. After completion, Arcelor will hold, through wholly owned subsidiaries, 100% of SWB.

Danieli Morgardshammar to Upgrade Ares Bar Mill

01 January 2005 - Ares SA (Arcelor Group), Luxembourg, has awarded Danieli Morgårdshammar an order for the modernization of its Bar Mill C located in Rodange.

Posco Implements Life-Long Learning System

01 January 2005 - Posco recently held a ceremony for the declaration of becoming a life-long learning company after deciding to introduce a 'Life-Long Learning System' to enhance corporate competitiveness and improve the quality of employees' lives with harmony in work, relaxation and learning.

Danieli to Install Spooler Line at ACA

01 January 2005 - Aceralia Corrugados Azpeitia (ACA), Spain, will add a Danieli Spooler line to their Azpeitia bar mill.

Posco Opens Era of 30 Million Tonnes per Year

01 January 2005 - With the production of 30.2 million tonnes of crude steel last year, Posco opened an age of 30 million tonnes of crude steel productivity and consolidated the foundation for a new take-off.

Ispat Iscor Commences Coke Expansion Project

01 January 2005 - Ispat Iscor Ltd. has obtained approval from South African environmental authorities to commence construction of a new coke oven battery at its Newcastle steel plant in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal. This will enable the company to expand its market coke production by some 450,000 tonnes per year.