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Appendices to Raymond Monroe’s testimony to Section 232 Investigation: The Effect of Steel Imports on National Security - Closed Steel Foundries and Lost Capacity since 2000, and Steel Foundries Involved in Supplying Defense Castings
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Steel castings are essential for economic prosperity, raising the standard of living and for providing national security. The best technology and economic performance is enabled by competition in the marketplace. Steel casting production is a difficult business with volatility including wide swings in demands and requirements. Recent challenges include the addition of global competition that often is damaging and predatory to North American industry. The U.S. government is initiating an
investigation into the effects of steel imports on national security…
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Last month introduced the idea that to improve our business performance and reputation, we should
strive to be smart, clean and friendly. Smart manufacturing is now in fact a current buzzword.
Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things, IoT, are the topic of considerable press and promotion. This month the Casteel Commentary reflects on the opportunities in smart manufacturing for steel foundries…
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Steel casting producers need to be seen as valued members of their community, contributors to our
standard of living and advanced in technology. One approach is to make our companies exemplars of
clean, friendly and smart manufacturing. The Casteel Commentary this month introduces the possibility of transforming our image through ordinary improvements that will better our financial results as well as our value to our community…
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This month’s Casteel Commentary reviews last year’s ideas from January about business in 2016 and proposes new directions for 2017. On the whole, I expect 2017 to turn out better than we have
expected in our SFSA forecast. We will see growth as expected but I anticipate we will see double
digit improvement from 2016 by the end of 2017…
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The 2017 SFSA Market Forecast.pdf
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This month’s Casteel Commentary reviews an analysis of the SFSA forecast data and its correlation with macro-economic factors that should be related. The forecast numbers seem reasonable for the total market and for most of the major segments.
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The steel casting business is a tough business in good times. In trying times like now it can be brutal for us to survive. The Casteel Commentary discusses some of the structural reasons behind our
challenges and the volatility of our markets. We have good reason to be optimistic about our future
but need to manage our current circumstances to survive…
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We are surviving in a rapidly changing commercial environment. Venerable foundries are closing. Senior experts are retiring. New employees are difficult to recruit, difficult to retain and difficult to understand. Customers are both less capable and knowledgeable and more demanding. Suppliers to our plants are facing the same severe conditions as we are and yet they are critical to our success. How do we move forward? What are the critical leadership needs of our plants and our industry?
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For most steel foundries, the majority of their work are proprietary products. The development of the casting in conjunction with the customer has developed a particular production process and tooling that provides the components they require. Because of this we need to recognize that we are proprietary source and mutually dependent. Our customers need us to operate profitably so we can continue to reliably and quickly meet their product requirements…
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