Final Thoughts

A comment from a steel buyer today as we discussed steel prices, “That’s what I like about the steel business, there is always a new dynamic.” Put another way by one of my trading mentors a number of years back, in the steel industry prices are either going up or they are going down, there is no in between. This makes for an interesting business to cover and my days are spent in constant conversation with both buyers and sellers of steel.

On a personal note, one of my neighbors here in Florida lives in Germany and has a company that works with automotive engineers, tool and die makers and fabricators. His company solves the problems being created by the new advanced high-strength steels. We had an interesting conversation about spring-back, forming and the new shapes steel is being asked to make in the new vehicles we (the public) has not seen yet. He told me about the next generation of electric vehicles and how you will be able to use your phone and program in the amount of horsepower you want the car to generate on any specific trip. Going on the Autobahn in Germany? Maybe 500 horsepower is what you want. Driving around town, dial in 200 horsepower. Same car, same engine (electric). He also told me the max weight for an electric vehicle to be effective is 1,500 pounds. I found it interesting. I am trying to get him to commit to speak at one of our future Steel 201 workshops where we focus in on advanced high-strength steels.