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Article: 'Dismal year for plate': while there has been a slight uptick in steel plate demand, few experts expect much recovery in plate's primary capital equipment, construction and energy markets until next year.(CARBON PLATE MARKET 2009)
- Article from:
- Metal Center News
- Article date:
- August 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Sackett Business Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
ONE OF THE HOTTEST steel product categories just a year ago, the domestic carbon plate market is among the coldest today.
"Demand for plate dropped off the face of the earth and has stayed there. It has been anemic since the beginning of November [2008]," says Jim Hoffman, senior vice president of operations for Los Angeles-based service center Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
The plate market "nightmare" is at nine months and counting, agrees plate distributor Ron Whitley, president and chief operating officer of Ranger Steel LP in Houston. "Everyone thought we would be seeing more activity by now. Demand is flat at best, ...