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What is the next big thing? Since the market remains weak and money is tight, what can we do to improve the business? Perhaps now is the time to tackle some of those persistent problems that trouble your plant and make a significant improvement…
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Steel foundries do not know their costs. This is an essential part of our lack of profitability and a major factor in many of the recent closures. The whole industry is hurt as expected pricing fails to cover the basic cost of production. Without dramatically better information about our costs, we will not prosper…
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This month’s Casteel Commentary recounts an unsolicited evaluation of the industry. The issues of late delivery and poor quality brand our industry as a poor performer. We need to change. We need to improve our performance and our image…
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Capitalism is based on the investment and growth of capital. An adequate return on capital investment is essential to a successful business and a prospering industry. Not only do we need a better return on our investment, we need more investment if our industry is to grow…
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Congratulations! We survived 2002. I just hope we can do the same in 2003. While demand remains low, we need to make sure that we do not chase the market down to unsustainable returns that will destroy the value of our business. Only by focusing on profitable business will our industry have a future…
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Castings contain information in the form of design and until the steel foundry designs its own castings, our customers will prosper selling users our castings with their designs…
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Having blown three out of four predictions last year, this year’s predictions are submitted for your entertainment. The economy should improve and our business should increase, but that was true last year and did not happen. Hopefully, this years prediction’s will be more correct than last year’s and more importantly, this year’s business stronger…
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The December 2002 Casteel Reporter - Just the business numbers and graphs this month…
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Challenges we face: Lack of qualified people, lack of capital to invest, lack of labor productivity are significant issues for steel foundries and our customers. Perhaps we should view these issues as marketing opportunities and use innovative approaches with steel castings to improve our customers’ businesses…
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The lack of capital for investment not only threatens the continued viability of steel foundries to survive, it is a significant factor restraining demand. Until this factor shifts to allow more investment, business will remain slow…
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