Metals Chips
By Tom Stundza -- Purchasing, 11/13/2008 7:00:00 AM
Reliance Steel & Aluminum of Los Angeles has bought HLN Metal Centre's processing and distribution operation in Singapore for $2.6 million. HLN Metal's core business is sawing of metal products and distributing custom machined materials.
The remelt billet facility in Boonville, Ind., of Ohio Valley Aluminum is likely to be closed through the rest of the year and maybe longer. The plant was shut when third quarter billet demand from construction customers dropped by 15–20%. The company still is operating its billet-casting facility in Shelbyville, Ky.
Golden Aluminum Extrusion has closed its Plant City, Fla., aluminum extrusion facility, which made a wide range of products for the building and construction and commercial transportation markets, window frames and pool enclosures. Earlier, the parent firm shut its aluminum extrusion plant in Warren, Ohio, formerly known as Excel Extrusions, which was also purchased from Alcoa in 2007.
Aluminum producer Alcoa has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bonneville Power Administration for a power contract to supply the 279,000 metric ton/year Intalco aluminum smelter in Ferndale, Wash., with 240 megawatts of direct power through 2028. The MOU provides the framework for a long-term contract extension that would begin in October 2011.
Chinese steelmaker WSP Holdings of Shanghai, which supplies oil country tubular goods (OCTG) worldwide, has expanded capacity through the ($40.5 million purchase of Tuoketuo County Mengfeng Special Steel in Inner Mongolia. WSP plans to boost Mengfeng's annual steelmaking capacity by 200,000 metric tons to 800,000 metric tons.
Rio Tinto Alcan says its expansion projects in Canada could be delayed as the company reviews capital expenditures in light of the global financial crisis. Among the largest capital spending plans in Canada are the modernization of the Kitimat smelter in British Columbia and construction of two or more new smelters in Quebec's Saguenay region.
Iron ore miner Cleveland-Cliffs of Cleveland has officially changed its name to Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. "Our company has entered a new era characterized by global expansion and mineral diversification," says CEO Joseph Carrabba. "Today, in addition to our North American mining ventures, we operate in Latin America and Australia, and sell into Asian and European markets."
United States Steel of Pittsburgh and Worthington Industries of Columbus, Ohio, have modified their Worthington Specialty Processing joint venture. Under terms of the deal, U.S. Steel will contribute its ProCoil steel processing subsidiary to the joint venture, and Worthington will contribute its Worthington Steel Taylor steel processing subsidiary.
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