Stainless Production Dropped Less Than Expected

The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has released preliminary stainless crude steel production figures  that show a global decline of 5.2% in 2009 compared with 2008.  However, the decrease was not even around the world. Some regions reported production drops of up to 30%, while in other areas stainless fabrication increased by up to 27%. This result probably reflects the uneven nature of the global economic downturn.

The first quarters of the year were clearly depressed, with production down 34.5% in the first quarter and 18.8% in the second. However, by the third quarter of 2009 there were clear signs of recovery with global production increasing by 11.9% compared to the same period of the previous year, which corresponded to the beginning of the global economic crisis.

The final quarter of 2009 showed an increase in stainless production of more than 38% compared to the same quarter in 2008. This high figure is partially due to the extremely low production levels in the final quarter of 2008. However, it also indicates the global economy was recovering and that further reconstitution of inventories of stainless steel was taking place.

Stainless crude steel production (in '000 metric tons):
Full year 2009 compared to 2008.

(p) = provisional. Source: International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF)

Stegeman To Join HD Supply
Former Ferguson President/CEO John Stegeman will join HD Supply as executive president on April 12, 2010, where he will lead the HD Supply Canada, HD Supply Electrical, HD Supply Plumbing/HVAC, HD Supply Waterworks and HD Supply White Cap businesses. He began his career as a management trainee with Ferguson Enterprises in Herndon, Va., in 1985 and advanced through various management positions culminating in the top spot. Stegeman will be based in Atlanta.

Vallourec To Build Big Mill In Youngstown
French pipe manufacturer Vallourec  announced that it will build a new $650 million state-of-the-art small diameter rolling mill in Youngstown, OH. This decision is supported by the long-term development of unconventional gas production in the U.S., which is driving increased demand for small diameter OCTG tubes. Operations are expected to start by the fourth quarter 2011.

More Duties On China Steel Pipe
The U.S. on Feb. 24 imposed preliminary duties ranging from 11% to 13% on steel pipe from China to offset government subsidies, the Commerce Department said. The case concerns seamless carbon and alloy pipe of 16 in. or less used in industrial piping systems to carry water, steam, petrochemicals, chemicals, oil products, natural gas and other liquids and gasses. The United States imported $382 million of the pipe from China in 2008, compared to $130 million in 2007. Read more details.

Also, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) earlier this week imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 166.9% and countervailing duties of up to 4070 Chinese renmibi per metric tonne applied to imports of oil and gas well casing and tubing from the People's Republic of China for an initial five-year period.  This determination is the third of a series of cases brought by Canadian producers against unfairly traded Chinese tubular products. As a result of these cases, there are currently anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders in place against oil and gas well casing, oil and gas well tubing and standard pipe originating in or exported from China.

TMK IPSCO To Open New
Threaded Pipe Facility
Steel tubular manufacturer TMK IPSCO announced that it has signed a lease on a building in Brookfield, OH where it will install new equipment to further expand the threading capacity of its ULTRA Premium Connections product line. The facility, which should begin operations during the second quarter of this year, will have an annual manufacturing capacity of up to 100,000 tons of threaded pipe.

Boston Valve Carries Genebre Industrial Valves
Boston Valve Co. (Smithfield, MA) announced that it is now stocking a full line of industrial stainless steel ball valves, butterfly valves and flanged stainless ball valves made by Genebre. Genebre is based in Barcelona, Spain, with operations also in Argentina and Brazil.

Cap & Trade Outsourcing

This story contains nothing surprising to anyone with a lick of common sense.  It merely describes how greenhouse gas emitters in the U.S. and other developed countries can meet green standards while "outsourcing" greenhouse gas pollution to developing countries with less fastidious environmental laws. This is one of the main arguments made against the Cap and Trade legislation that has stalled in the U.S. Senate.

What's significant is that this rather obvious reaction to cap-trade has acquired a veneer of academic respectability thanks to a study reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and summarized in this article from livescience.com.

From other sources comes word that cap-trade proponents are trying to cover up its stench by doing away with the "Cap & Trade" terminology. They're calling it "Pollution Reduction Targets" instead.  A rose by any other name ...

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Tech Tip #43 by Gregg Marshall
To help you make the most of the Digital Age.

Podcasting, DIY "Radio" Talk Shows

Apple iPod's, and iTunes' ability to gather recordings via RSS (really simple syndication) feeds created a whole new way to distribute music and other recorded audio.  That combination for non-music audio became know as Podcasts.

Now, even though virtually any MP3 or computer media player supports distribution via RSS, the name has stuck. RSS makes it possible to subscribe to a series of audio recordings, having them automatically sent to you whenever new ones are available. They usually are also on a website if you don't want to use RSS, often with a written blog.

Creating a podcast is really as simple as plugging a $2 microphone into your computer's sound card, firing up an audio recorder program and starting to talk. (You should probably get a better microphone; they cost well under $100.)

Why would anyone want to become a podcaster except for Larry King wannabe's? If you are a salesperson, or company that has products, podcasts are a great way to make information available that can be listened to anywhere.

A study by the Berman Institute of Selling found the average salesperson spends 17 hours a week in his/her car. Why not use that time for product training or other news about your company? Or create podcasts for your customers on how to use your products.

Creating podcasts is easy, and inexpensive. They are one more tool in your arsenal to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Gregg Marshall, CPMR, CSP, is president of Rep Connection Inc. He can be reached by e-mail at gmarshall@repconnection.com , or visit his LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/greggmarshall.

What's The Industry Buzzing About?

• PVF Survey Documents Plunge In Business
• Group Calls For Halt To Tax Subsidies Of Rich Enviro Groups 
• Whole-House Corrugated Stainless Steel Gas Pipe

Grinnell Grooved Snap Coupling
Grinnell Mechanical Products announces the release of its Figure 780 Grooved Snap Coupling.  The coupling features a hinged lever mechanism for quickly and safely connecting grooved piping systems.  The coupling is available in sizes 1½ to 8 in. (DN40 to DN200) and rated to handle pressures up to 300 psi (20,7 bar).  The Figure 780 is ideal for industrial, OEM, and mining applications.

Emerson Digital Valve Controller
Emerson Process Management has expanded its FIELDVUE ™ instrument product line with the DVC6200 Series digital valve controller, featuring linkage-less, non-contact feedback technology. The FIELDVUE DVC6200 instrument was designed for applications that experience high levels of vibration, corrosion, or material entrapment. The linkage-less, non-contact feedback technology improves reliability by eliminating linkage wear.

Self-Regulating Heat Cable
EasyHeat , a business unit of Emerson Industrial Automation, has introduced SR Trace®, a self-regulating heating cable that automatically varies its heat output with changes in the surrounding temperature. Because of the self-regulating feature of this cable, it can be safely wrapped over itself if necessary when installed on pipes, valves or flanges. EasyHeat SR Trace cables provide maximum freeze protection for plastic or metal pipes and vessels in ambient temperatures down to -40º F.