“Just Listen To That Cold Steel Ring”

Andrew Carnegie.

J.P. Morgan.

Charles Schwab.

Soon, you may be able to add Robert Parson to that list.

I’m sure you recognize those other guys as manufacturing magnates of the early 20th Century.  They, along with Elbert H. Gary, founded the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel is the largest steel company in the nation, but times have been tough on them.

The steel industry is subject to wild fluctuations in demand.  If there’s no construction going on, there’s need for steel girders.  If no cars are being built, there’s no need for sheet metal.  In the last several months U.S. Steel has shed at least 3500 jobs and idled at least two facilities.  Even though the last year had excellent profits, the company says it expects a loss in the first quarter of this year.  A major stock analyst this week also cut U.S. Steel’s profit estimates through 2010 in large part because of a weaker market for tubular, or pipe, steel.

J. James Kutka is going to retire this year.  He started more than 40 years ago as a production worker and his risen to become Senior Vice President- Strategic Planning and Business Development.  My resume should now be in the hands of Chairman and CEO John P. Surma.

I’m certain that I can “research and analyze existing and new markets… the slowdown in the economy may be the opportunity to the evaluate new and exciting markets and develop them as the economy recovers.  Specifically, I would be interested expanding the market for U.S. Steel products in residential construction.”

And that would indeed be tubular.