Purchasing - February 8, 2001

Purchasing departments are just about split when it comes to increasing their budget in the curious economic climate of 2001. About half say their budgets are up this year as they consider more travel, more personnel and general inflation.

• BUYLINES
• Benchmarking: In Theory and Practice
• AUTOMOTIVE/OEM
• Automakers hope new models will boost sales
• GRASSROOTS BUSINESS SURVEY
• Despite lower interest rates, buyers remain pessimistic
• THE READERS SPEAK
• Why NAPM wants a name change

• CPI EDITION
• BUYERS NEWS
• Steady market continues to add services
• Price Changes
• Solvay and BP forge polymer-exchange deal
• Producers beef up the IBC benefits
• Buyers say prices will stabilize
• CHEMICAL TRANSACTION PRICES
• Energy costs bump up index
• Plastic Resins
• Purchasing transaction price survey results

• Cpi Edition
• BUYERS NEWS
• Prices will ride higher on feedstock costs
• What's Hot
• BUYING STRATEGY
• Team approach cuts costs at Genentech
• Chemforecast
• Energy costs fuel price increases
• Ethylene
• Buyers' market continues in 2001

• How Chrysler willcut costs
• How Chrysler will cut costs

• INSIDE PURCHASING
• Chrysler turns to purchasing-again

• LOGISTICS
• The STB's proposed rules regarding railroad mergers

• METALS
• NEWS
• Purchasing shows no vitality
• Survey sees early 2001 downtrend in imports
• Base metal prices will be wobbly in 2001
• Stainless bar makers file trade plea
• Brass deficit exploded last year
• Steel industry crisis of its own making
• Aluminum stocks clog distributor warehouses
• Chips
• Chicago foundry to make 'backup' Oscars
• High-temp alloys boosted
• Steel pipe and tube sales 'sluggishness' reported
• Alcoa in Northwest smelting slowdown
• Alcan merger woes spawn call for global competition agency
• Bar mill CSC in bankruptcy revamp
• European steel prices are reported as wobbly, too
• ITC sees injury potential from hot-rolled imports

• METALS FORECAST
• Buyers want lower prices now
• Spot prices will slide by 5%
• NICKEL
• Slow sales undercut prices
• STEEL
• Spot prices will slide by 5%
• TIN
• Struggling to get a lift

• MINORITY SUPPLIERS
• Boeing takes the initiative

• Metals
• WHAT'S HOT
• Automotive Metals
• Cars of the future will be made of ... steel
• News
• New capacity will keep steel plate prices low

• Metals Forecast
• ALUMINUM
• Flat sales undermine pricing
• COPPER
• Price rise will be modest
• LEAD
• Market prices won't ignite

• PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
• GREIF BROS. CORPORATION

• PURCHASING HOTLINE
• TRANSACTION PRICES
• PURCHASING HOTLINE
• PURCHASING HOTLINE

• SUPPLY INSIGHTS
• PURCHASING FORECASTS
• BUYING PLANS/PRICE EXPECTATIONS
• LEADTIMES
• Compounders fare well

• logistics
• Shippers unimpressed by rail rules
• What's Hot