“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.

Securing the Exchange

What better way to relaunch Bob’s Job Blog than by applying for the job of Director of the Division of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission?

Linda Chatman Thomsen resigned that job this week. She got beat up last week by Congress for failing to catch the alleged pyramid scheme alleged to have been run by Bernie Madoff that caused investors to lose billions of dollars.

Prior to that, though she had a pretty good run at catching the bad guys.  But sometimes things slip through the cracks.  Unfortunately it was $50 billion dollars that slipped through those cracks.

Mary Schapiro is the new Chair of the SEC, and she has a difficult task ahead of her.  As the meltdown in the economy continues, more people and more companies will be looking for ways to squeeze a few dollars, much of it through illegal investment schemes.  She’s the watchdog, but she’s going to need a strong attack dog to go after these scalawags.

I can bring her data analysis skills, extensive interviewing experience, and public relations expertise, all rolled into one tidy package.

Why should I settle for CEO when I can be the bulldog nipping at their heels?  Bring on the quarterly reports.  They’ve met their match.

Bob Job’s Blog: The Bailout Edition

Dow Jones Industrial Average February 10, 2009. Graphic from djaverages.com

Hi there!

Remember me?  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

A lot has happened since the last time I worked on this.  Obviously, the most significant thing to have occurred is the deepest recession in decades.  You already know all the details so I won’t get into all that.

As the economy looks for solid footing, it appears that there are going to be a lot of changes going on in the executive suites at many companies.  These companies are going to be looking for strong leadership with new ideas.  They need look no further!

It doesn’t matter to me if there will be a salary cap on CEO salaries of companies that accept government bailout bucks.  I’ll manage somehow if my pay tops out at half a million dollars a year.

I am here to serve.