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President's Message  A Note from the Executive Director
Haley J. Brust - Executive Director (Talley Management Group) I have been in the association business for 18 wonderful years and I feel I have come full circle. This got me thinking how it all began and how I got to where I am today. The first thing that popped into my mind was that if I hadn't joined my industry associations (yes, at one time I belonged to five) then I would not have met the wonderful people I know today. I would not have learned what I know now, and I would not be the person I am today. It is through these relationships and the great educational events offered to me, that I was able to go from one passion, meeting planner, to another, executive director. My trip down "Memory Lane" brought me to:
 AWMI Annual Conference: Are You Ready? Mary Becker - International Programs Chair (Chicago Chapter) Preparations for the 2010 AWMI Annual Conference are almost complete! Mark your calendars for Sept. 16-19 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, AZ and join us for this incredible networking and educational opportunity. This year’s conference will showcase keynote presentations from Vicki Avril (President and CEO) TMK IPSCO, and Ken Hoffman (Sector Head – Metals & Mining) Bloomberg Industry Research. Additionally, you won't want to miss our two industry panel discussions. Our manufacturing panel will feature Gloria Georger (Plant Manager) Ford Motor Company – Chicago Stamping Plant, Ryan Gustafson (Global Segment Manager Steel, Forgings, Undercarriage & GET) Caterpillar, and William Hippard (Vice President – Sales, Building Products) Precoat Metals. Our lobbyist panel will feature Eileen Bradner (Sr. Director & Counsel, Federal Government Affairs) Nucor Corporation. Not only will our attendees be taking home relevant industry information and forecasts, they will also further develop their leadership skills. CLICK HERE AND REGISTER TODAY!  Are High Raw Material Prices Good for Steel? A commentary from Murat Askin, General Manager (SteelOrbis Americas) In case you missed the steel mills crying foul over the iron ore contracts, let me just remind you of a few sound bites. Eurofer, which represents European steel mills, has complained to the European commission about the possible price fixing scheme by the three major iron ore producers, namely Vale, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Some went further and accused the three miners of being an oligopoly. The fury was unleashed when the steel mills couldn't agree on yearly contracts and settled for quarterly pricing updates. Miners were also asking for almost a 100 percent increase, up from $60/mt to $110-$120/mt. To add insult to injury, two of these big boys, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, would like to merge Australian mining operations and further increase their pricing power. This way, they could control production and charge customers whatever they would like, even in this crummy global economy. How else can you make a 100 percent price increase work in this recessionary environment? True, these three miners own roughly 80 percent of iron ore production in the world. But it's also true that this picture hasn't changed much in the last few years. Regardless, we have seen the iron prices go down, but those down cycles were fairly short-lived. Why is that? Is there a sinister plot going on, or despite the perception of low steel demand around the world, there is even more demand for raw materials? Let's look at the other raw material, ferrous scrap, which is totally unrelated to iron ore other than both are used to make steel. Scrap is not mined, it's collected; and unlike iron ore, there are thousands or perhaps even millions of recyclers and processors around the world. Yet, scrap prices also went up by about 120 percent since this time last year. Is there also an oligopoly here? And let's look at steel prices. Take the basic hot rolled coil prices in the US Midwest. Last April, coil prices were just below $18.00 cwt. ($396/mt) and now they are pushing $35.00 cwt. ($771/mt)—nearly a 100 percent increase! Is there also an oligopoly here? |
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No, the real reason is the ever-increasing appetite for steel making; not from the G7s of this world but from developing nations with big populations like China, India and Brazil. We had a meltdown on Wall Street, but the world didn't come to an end. All the billions of people in the developing world who have no cars, no fridges or no washing machines have their eyes on our lifestyles and they will eventually buy those items made with steel. This basic fact is not going to change for many decades. And it's not just for steel; other commodities and energy are also in high demand. That's why the oil prices too have gained more than 100 percent from their lowest point in 2009. The year-on-year price increase the steel mills achieved is $375/mt but when it comes to iron ore, the world will come apart if the ore cartel shoves their $60/mt increases down steel mills' throats. Some economists even predicted that these increases might threaten the fragile recovery of steel consumption markets: construction, appliances, automotive, you name it. I have some news for these economists: steel prices have already increased with the anticipation of the raw materials increases. What's more, increasing raw material prices are the best thing that could happen to the steel industry. Without a strong rebound of raw materials, steel prices could have no chance to rebound to the current levels. After all, raw material prices are the best excuse steel sales people can give to their customers who complain about grim sales and high steel prices. They always say: "Raw material prices are going up significantly, we have no choice but to raise our prices as well." So, relax and stop complaining about the high iron ore and scrap prices. Be grateful and thank your friendly raw materials suppliers for raising your prices. Note that the views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of AWMI.  2009 Member of the Year: Tamela Olt Sian Marcone - International Vice President (Baltimore Chapter) AWMI is proud to announce that Tamela Olt, International Membership Chair and member of the Chicago Chapter, has been chosen as the 2009 AWMI International Member of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes one special AWMI member who has advanced the goals and objectives of our association in a way that surpasses the expectations of a simple job description. Tammy graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Marketing and minoring in psychology. She began her metals career at National Steel Corporation in November 1984 and held positions of Inside Sales Representative, Inside Sales Manager, Sales Representative and Account Manager for the electrical steel market. She currently is a Senior Regional Sales Manager with SSAB Americas, covering the areas of Chicago, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, having been with SSAB (formally IPSCO) since October 2001. Since becoming a member of AWMI in 1988, Tammy has served in numerous board positions of increasing responsibility including the Chicago Chapter Membership Chair, Marketing Chair, President and Past President, and Midwest Regional Director. In 2003, Tammy was elected International Membership Chair, the position she currently holds. She sits on numerous AWMI committees, remains actively involved in her home chapter, and uses her frequent and extensive travel schedule to support AWMI chapters across the US and Canada and champion the cause of our Association. In her spare time, Tammy is an active member of the Metals Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts of Americas, Chicago Council. In 2006, she chaired the annual Boy Scouts Dinner and raised $490,000 in donations, becoming the first women to receive the Good Scout Award in 2007. Tammy has also been involved with the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since 2000, when her daughter, Taylor, was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. This past December, she and her son, Max, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Bogalusa, LA. You can read about it here. Tammy is married to Olaf Klutke and has two children – Taylor, 21, is a senior at Indiana University and Max, 17, will be a freshman at Marquette University. AWMI will present Tammy with her Member of the Year award at the upcoming Leadership Conference in Tucson in September. Watch your email for registration details. CONGRATULATIONS, TAMMY!   Take Advantage of "Mentor of the Month" Program Loretta Wysocki - International Mentoring Chair (Philadelphia Chapter) Mentoring loosely defined is the transition of knowledge and support from a mentor to a person being mentored. It is communication and relationship based. If you are interested in advancing your career, industry knowledge or professional development be sure to take advantage of good solid advice from an experienced executive through AWMI’s Mentor of the Month program. To access the mentors go to the AWMI website and click on Mentoring Corner (as a member you will be asked to log on), the current month and Mentor available will be listed and you can click on her name and send her a direct email ... yes, it is as simple as that and she will answer you within two weeks. While there, you can also read the bios of all of the Mentors to see where their areas of expertise lie. The questions you ask are often those issues that these women have faced themselves. Statistically, support like this, as it relates to a career, shapes the outlook of the person mentored and people who have mentors are twice as likely to remain in their jobs and careers than those who do not receive mentoring support. Mentoring is a style of learning. Mentoring encompasses all of the other goals of our organization – to Grow (personally and professionally); Educate (through the learning and listening process of advice); and Network (adding to your personal and career based colleagues). We are focused and committed to AWMI’s Mentoring goal. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome. Please feel free to contact me at rlwysocki@comcast.net. If you wish to be a Mentor or join the Mentoring Committee, please let me know. Most of our Mentors will be attending the Leadership Conference in Tucson in September – meet them in person at the conference. I look forward to seeing you all in Tucson.  International Women's Day - March 8, 2010 Interview with Donna Peters reproduced with permission of ArcelorMittal. You may be surprised to learn that International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900’s. In 1910 at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen a motion was made by Clara Zetkin, the leader of the "Women's Office" for the German Social Democratic Party. She proposed that every year on the same day there should be a celebration in every country to spotlight discrimination and press women's demands. The gathering of over 100 women from 17 countries representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs and the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, unanimously approved and International Women's Day was born. This year ArcelorMittal chose to observe the day by interviewing some of their female employees for their company's newsletter. One of the women selected was our very own International Treasurer, Donna Peters, who, you will not be surprised to find out, graciously shared the spotlight with AWMI. Thank you, Donna, for not only allowing our organization some excellent press, but for your years of service to both AWMI and the metals industry in general. You are truly a marvelous example of what International Women’s Day is all about. ______________________________________ Interview with Donna Peters  Donna Peters, Quality Assurance Engineer, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor has worked in the steel industry for over 30 years. Originally from Pittsburgh, Donna works with 12 other engineers to ensure our customers receive quality products.Why did you decide to work with the AWMI? I joined a local chapter back in the mid 1990s and worked my way up. I thought they were a wonderful group of women with great programs. I wanted a network of women I could connect with and who had similar interests. I also wanted to find mentors and be a mentor myself. What does your role as International Treasurer entail? I use software such as "QuickBooks" to keep track of the AWMI's finances. I also reach out to local chapters, help them train on the software and ensure they are reporting their finances correctly. Naturally, I review our financial statements and create our budget. Our income relies on membership fees, so I check the numbers are correct, create an advertising budget and set aside funds for conferences. What is the objective of the AWMI? We have four cornerstones which include: to grow, educate, mentor and network. We help women working in the metal industries to advance through education and self-confidence. We seek to equip women with the tools they need to understand the business, remove barriers and take the next step in their career. What is the best part of your job with ArcelorMittal? I truly believe I have best job in the world. I enjoy being a problem-solver and helping people. I can work from home, be productive and set my schedule which gives me a lot of freedom. Additionally, my boss and I have a good working relationship. What is the best part of your work with AWMI? I enjoy working at an international level and providing guidance to the International President. My peers know I am logical and level-headed, and I like being able to use my skills to find the right solution. When I meet a new customer, I am often not what they expect. I enjoy developing a relationship with them and becoming a good resource for the customer. I like being able to say "no" when "no" is the right answer. I believe in teaching my customers to ask the right questions and to become better customers, so we can help them reach their goals. What do you do on weekends? I recently went through a life-changing event when I lost my husband a few months ago. My work at ArcelorMittal as well as at AWMI and my colleagues and friends have helped me fill my days. I love to go to local rock, folk and blues festivals with my friends.   Spotlight:Eddie Kane Steel Products, Inc. At the turn of the century, ten years ago, Augustine F.X. (Gus) Kane started a secondary steel distribution company that he named after his father who had been in the steel business since the 1950’s. Eddie Kane Steel opened its doors in New Jersey in January 2000 with just one employee (a woman, of course). After assembling a small team of bright, hardworking, and energetic individuals, the company opened its first value-added processing facility in Masury, in the Mahoning Valley in Northeastern Ohio, as phase one of a growth plan to maintain a diverse inventory of excess prime hot-rolled carbon steel plate and provide value-added services for the company’s growing customer base. In 2008 and 2009, three facilities were added in strategic locations throughout the United States: a warehouse and processing facility in Hertford County, North Carolina (2008) and sales, distribution, and processing facilities in Los Angeles and the Chicago area (2009). The company’s corporate office is in Sea Girt, New Jersey, with additional sales offices in Florida and New Jersey. The processing capabilities within the company include high-definition plasma and oxy-fuel flame cutting, shearing, bending, Blanchard grinding, heat treating, and light machining, all of which enable the company to support its very valuable and diverse customer base.  Gus Kane built the company from scratch with a vision that, at the time, seemed exceedingly optimistic. However, over the past decade he has remained true to his vision and the company has undergone tremendous growth. Eddie Kane Steel is slated for more growth to better service the entire country – with additional locations and added capabilities at existing locations on the horizon. The company’s goals have always centered on establishing and strengthening strategic relationships with mill suppliers and our customers. That includes continually improving operations and offering superior customer service to create a win-win, mutually beneficial relationship with vendors and customers. In Gus Kane’s words, “The vision has always been about people, to foster a work environment with talented people who respect each other and who thrive in a challenging, dog-eat-dog world with a positive outlook day after day. Like my family, my employees give me strength and make me proud. The company’s entire management, support staff, and skilled labor workforce take pride in their job. Nobody outworks us. Having a passionate and dedicated team is a critical part of getting to know our customers, their changing needs and servicing them the best we can.” Eddie Kane Steel now has more than seventy employees, with women making up 15% of the workforce. For more information about Eddie Kane Steel Products, Inc., please visit www.eddiekanesteel.com or call 732-974-3339 or 866-974-KANE (toll-free).  |
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