AUTOMOTIVE/OEM
BUYING ENERGY
BUYLINES
Buylines
BUYLINES
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
CPI EDITION
CPI Edition
CPI EDITION
CPI Edition
CPI EDITION
DISTRIBUTION 1999
INSIDE PURCHASING
METALS
| Metals
METALS
Metals
METALS
Metals
PRODUCT UPDATE
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Purchasing Hotline
PURCHASING HOTLINE - Is your MRO buying strategic--or do you just wing it?
- Expect gasoline prices to rise in next month or so
- Longer term, expect gasoline prices to go back down.
- Hotel room rates will rise about 5% this year.
- Plan on 6% increase in health-care costs this year.
- Want to help keep health-care costs down?
- Other methods for minimizing health-care costs:
- If you're a purchasing pro in the chemical process industries (CPI), don't miss our book,
- Don't expect increased shipping capacity to lower trans-Pacific rates.
- But trans-Pacific shippers may look at ways to minimize rate increase, especially $300 surcharge.
- Don't worry about methanol prices; they'll stay low,
- Count on more attempts by steel mills to raise prices.
Economy - There's a growing body of evidence that manufacturing may be pulling out of its late-1998 slump.
- Manufacturing cost structures are generally falling
- While economic optimism continues to ride high, it's difficult to pinpoint the trend in U.S. corporate profits.
- Consumer confidence edged up again in March, gaining a point from February
- The "emerging markets" economic crisis will be more severe and prolonged than originally thought
- Visit Purchasing Online (www.purchasing.com) to enter Purchasing's 1999 Crystal Ball
Markets - Industrial Rubber Products of Hibbing, Minn., has moved into new synthetic rubber markets
- World airports handled more than 2.8 billion passengers last year, an increase of 2.9%
- The battered and bruised paper industry has budgeted $9.1 billion
- Near-term sales of personal computers could grind to a halt as companies ponder ways to combat the so-called millennium computer bug.
- Americans bought a record number of new cars and trucks between January-March
- By June, Copperweld plans full commercial production at its new stainless steel tubing plant
- Consumer publications have been hyping home computer networks
- The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. recently dropped below 500
- The digital cellular telephone market has high-growth potential
- The lead-acid battery industry shuttered 21 manufacturing plants while boosting battery shipments
- DSC Ltd., owner of the former McLouth Steel mill in Michigan, wants to install new equipment
- An alloy based on silicon carbide and germanium could lead to faster semiconductor chips that can withstand higher temperatures
- Jeff Mallett, president of Yahoo!, says three companies will dominate the Internet by the end of next year
- Global shipments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment fell 21% last year due to the Asian demand slowdown
Prices - Compaq Computer sees no immediate end to PC price slashing
- Seasonal demand growth, opec cuts in crude-oil production, and major refinery problems
- The Energy Information Administration (EIA) now sees a sustained uptrend in global crude oil prices
- Nucor has proposed a $20/ton sheet price hike
- Prices of metals and minerals will fall 10.3% this year
- Domestic suppliers of coated printing paper "continue to be challenged by an extremely price-sensitive market
- With tight seat capacity and strong demand, several major airlines tried--but failed to obtain
- Dell Computer wants to expand its presence in the low-cost desktop-computer market
- Mini-mills, led by North Star Steel and Nucor, are seeking a $15/ton hike
- The continued boom in home and office building has allowed makers of construction materials to boost prices
- Heavy imports of cheap concrete reinforcing bar have sent prices skidding to $285/ton
- Georgia-Pacific plans to raise fluff pulp by $30/metric ton
- Primary copper prices probably have reached bottom, and should soon commence a rise
- Vincent Industrial Plastics is expanding injection molding capacity
- Allegheny Ludlum plans to become a full-line supplier of titanium mill products
Recycling Resources
SUPPLY INSIGHTS
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation
TRANSPORTATION
|
