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http://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=376Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=376Mario Longhi Joins U. S. Steel As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Babcoke, Matthews and Williams Named to Executive Management CommitteeUnited States Steel Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John P. Surma today announced that the company's Board of Directors has elected Mario Longhi to the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer.&nbsp; He will report to U. S. Steel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John P. Surma and will be based at U. S. Steel's corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh.&nbsp; The company also announced the appointments of George F. Babcoke, Douglas R. Matthews and Michael S. Williams to the company's executive management committee.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>Longhi, 58, will be responsible for U. S. Steel's North American Flat-Rolled, Tubular and Central European operations, as well as global operations services.&nbsp; "The global steel sector is facing one of the most complex and dynamic economic environments in recent decades, which places increasing strategic and operating demands on our company as we continue to execute our longer term business strategy while remaining flexible in the near term," said Surma.&nbsp; "Mario joins our already strong and experienced operating executive leadership team of George Babcoke, Doug Matthews and Mike Williams who, collectively, have 100 years of steel and metals manufacturing experience."<br><br>Most recently, Longhi spent six years at Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation, serving first as president from 2005 through 2006 and then additionally in the role of chief executive officer from 2006 until 2011.&nbsp; Prior to his tenure at Gerdau Ameristeel, Longhi spent 23 years at Alcoa, where he advanced through increasingly responsible positions in his native Brazil, the United States and Switzerland, including president – Alcoa Wheels International, president – Alcoa Forgings Division, president and chief executive officer – Howmet Castings, and Alcoa vice president and group president – Global Extrusions.<br><br>"Mario is a seasoned strategic leader of operationally intensive, international metals businesses, and is well known and highly regarded within the steel industry," said Surma.&nbsp; "His demonstrated track record in leading businesses with a focus on safety, quality, customer service excellence, continuous improvement, growth and results are an excellent match with the core values and results-oriented culture of U. S. Steel." <br><br>Babcoke, senior vice president – Europe and global operations services, Matthews, senior vice president – Tubular Operations, and Williams, senior vice president – North American Flat-Rolled Operations, will report directly to Longhi. <br><br>Previously, Longhi served as chairman, director and executive committee member of the Steel Manufacturers Association and director of the American Iron and Steel Institute. <br><br>A native of Tatui, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Longhi earned a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from the Institute Maua de Tecnologica in Sao Paulo.&nbsp; He became an American citizen in 2007.<br><br>Longhi and his wife, Maria Helena, will be relocating to Pittsburgh.<br><br><br>Contact: <br>Erin DiPietro,<br>&nbsp;+1-412-433-6845, <br>Courtney Boone, <br>+1-412-433-6791<br><br>Source: United States Steel Corporation<br>http://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=374Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=374ArcelorMittal recalibrates agreement with Hunan Valin Steel to increase exposure to fast growing automotive market ArcelorMittal and the Valin Group today announce that ArcelorMittal will increase its shareholding in the downstream automotive steel joint venture, VAMA (Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive), from 33% to 49%. VAMA is focused on establishing itself as a premier supplier of high-strength steels and value-added products for China’s fast growing automotive market.<br><br>In-line with the new shareholding agreement, Valin and ArcelorMittal will increase their planned capacity by 25% from 1.2 million tons to 1.5 million tons. Capital investment will also increase by 15% to RMB 5.2 billion and VAMA has signed purchase agreements totalling RMB 1.8 billion for key equipment including cold rolling facilities, continuous annealing and galvanizing lines. The joint venture is expected to become operational in the first half of 2014.<br><br>In addition ArcelorMittal could potentially recalibrate its share-holding in Hunan Valin Steel. The two companies have finalized a share swap arrangement based upon a Put Option mechanism, which enables ArcelorMittal to exercise the Put Options granted by Valin Group over the next two years. Under this arrangement, ArcelorMittal could sell up to 19.9% of the equity (600 million shares) it holds in Hunan Valin Steel to Valin Group. The exercise period of the Put Options is equally spaced with a gap of 6 months and linked to the key development milestones of VAMA. Following the exercise of the Put Options, ArcelorMittal would retain a 10.07% shareholding in Valin Steel as a long term strategic cooperation.<br><br>Mr Sudhir Maheshwari, ArcelorMittal’s Group Management Board member responsible for China, said: “We have agreed with Valin Group to recalibrate our shareholdings in Valin Steel to focus on China’s fast growing automotive steel market. This is a natural evolution since ArcelorMittal already enjoys a leadership position in the automotive markets of Europe and North America. VAMA will be based on our proven market leading technology. We believe this is a good opportunity to create value for our shareholders and further enhance our participation in both China and the automotive market more broadly.”<br><br>About Valin Iron &amp; Steel Group Co., Ltd.<br><br>Hunan Valin Iron &amp; Steel Group Co., Ltd was set up in 1997 integrating Hunan top 3 steel companies of Xiangtan Steel, Lianyuan Steel and Hengyang Steel. It is one of top 10 Chinese steel producers with steel production capacity of 22 M tons. In 2011, it has steel output of 18.22 M tons, sales revenue of 83.9 B yuan and total profit of 1.67 B yuan.<br><br>The operation of Valin Group is mainly based on the listed company: Valin Steel, which has the state-of-the-art equipment and process for the production of plate, hot rolled coil and cold rolled coil, seamless steel tube and pipes, wire rod and bar with 5000 specifications and sizes. It focus on becoming the steel industrial organizer by set-up a complete steel chain of resource investment, steel deep drawing, recycling economy, transportation and logistics, finance service.<br><br>About ArcelorMittal<br><br>ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel and mining company, with a presence in more than 60 countries.<br><br>ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global carbon steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&amp;D and technology. The Group also has a world class mining business with a global portfolio of over 20 mines in operation and development, and is the world’s 4th largest iron ore producer. With operations in over 22 countries spanning four continents, the Company covers all of the key industrial markets, from emerging to mature, and has outstanding distribution networks.<br><br>Through its core values of sustainability, quality and leadership, ArcelorMittal commits to operating in a responsible way with respect to the health, safety and well-being of its employees, contractors and the communities in which it operates. It is also committed to the sustainable management of the environment. It takes a leading role in the industry's efforts to develop breakthrough steelmaking technologies and is actively researching and developing steel-based technologies and solutions that contribute to combat climate change. ArcelorMittal is a member of the FTSE4Good Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.<br><br>In 2011, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $94.0 billion and crude steel production of 91.9 million tonnes, representing approximately 6 per cent of world steel output. The Group's mining operations produced 54 million tonnes of iron ore and 8 million tonnes of metallurgical coal.<br><br>ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).<br><br><br>About Hunan Valin Iron &amp; Steel Co., Ltd.<br><br>Hunan Valin Iron &amp; Steel Co., Ltd. (also “Valin Steel”,) is listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Stock code is ? 000932.<br><br>Since it went public, Valin has taken full advantage of the opportunities for development and the capital market, and carried out its internationalization strategy. Through share transfer, the Company introduces ArcelorMittal, world ?1 steel enterprise, as its strategic partner. It strives to improve its main business of steel, and determines a differentiated developmental strategy on the basis of professionalized production and cost control. It targets at the high-end products in the segmented market and positions itself as a “steel solution provider to the customers”.<br><br>Since its incorporation, Valin Steel has invested over RMB 60 B yuan on a series of technical revamping projects, including optimization of the processes, adjustment of the product mix, energy saving, consumption reduction, and improvement of its competitive strength, and has conducted a series of technical innovation and modernized the production processes featured by large equipment, automatic operation and lean management. The Company concentrated on several key products, including cold-rolled and hot-rolled ultra-thin coils, heavy and wide plates, seamless steel tubes and pipes of all calibers, and high quality wire rod. So far, it has established plate and coil, tube and pipe, and wire rod production lines of advanced level. It also focused on high-tech and sophisticated products, including high strength auto steel, high grade steel, high magnetic electrical steel, high strength shipbuilding plate, thick plates for high power thermal power plants and nuclear plants, high pressure boiler tubes, X80 pipeline steel. It attempts to form its series of products with great competitive strength to meet the demand of the domestic market substituting the imported steel. In 2011, it produced 15.43 M tons of steel, yielding sales revenue of RMB 73.859 B yuan with total assets of RMB 85. 969 B yuan.<br><br>About Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Co., Ltd.<br><br>Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Co, Ltd. (VAMA) was registered and set up on Sept. 27 2010. It was approved by NDRC and MOFCOM with registered capital of 1.53 B yuan, in which 33% held by Hunan Valin Steel Group, 34% held by Hunan Valin Steel, 33% held by ArcelorMittal. VAMA is built with the state-of-the-art of automotive technology in Loudi Economic Development Zone, Loudi city, Hunan Province.<br><br>Contacts:<br>ArcelorMittal Investor Relations<br>Europe + 352 4792 2484<br>Americas + 1 312 899 3569<br>Retail + 44 203 214 3198<br>SRI + 44 207 543 1128<br>Bonds/Credit + 33 171 92 10 26<br><br>ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications<br>press@arcelormittal.com<br>Phone: +352 4792 5000<br>ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications<br>Giles Read (Head of Media Relations) + 44 20 3214 2845<br>Lynn Robbroeckx + 44 20 3214 2991<br>Tobin Postma + 44 20 3214 2412<br>United Kingdom<br><br><br><br><br>Source: ArcelorMittal <br><br><br><br>http://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=375Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=375Praxair Canada Acquires Five Airgas Branch Locations Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG) and Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) announce the acquisition by Praxair Canada Inc. of the assets and operations of five Airgas branch locations in western Canada, including Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton, Alberta, and Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.<br><br>“We thank our former employees for their years of hard work and commitment to excellence under the Airgas brand and wish them continued success in servicing the medical homecare and industrial markets in Alberta and Saskatchewan for Praxair,” said Edward Richards, North Pacific Region President of Airgas. “This strategic divestiture enables us to redeploy capital resources to our core business in British Columbia, where we look forward to serving our loyal customers for years to come.”<br><br>“This acquisition supports our growth strategy in western Canada and enables us to better serve our existing customers and home oxygen clients in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” said Matt White, president of Praxair Canada Inc. “The new employees are a welcome addition to our team.”<br><br>About Airgas, Inc.<br><br>Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, and hardgoods, such as welding equipment and supplies. Airgas is also a leading U.S. producer of atmospheric gases, carbon dioxide, dry ice, and nitrous oxide, one of the largest U.S. distributors of safety products, and a leading U.S. distributor of refrigerants, ammonia products, and process chemicals. More than 15,000 employees work in approximately 1,100 locations, including branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also markets its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telesales channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified customer base. <br><br>About Praxair, Inc.<br><br>Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide, with 2011 sales of $11 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. <br><br>Contacts:<br>Airgas<br>Media Contact:<br>Doug Sherman, 610-902-6270<br>doug.sherman@airgas.com<br><br>Investor Contact:<br>Barry Strzelec, 610-902-6256<br>barry.strzelec@airgas.com<br><br>For Praxair:<br>Media Contact:<br>Jacqueline Hunt, 203-837-2663<br>jacqueline_hunt@praxair.com<br><br>Investor Contact:<br>Kelcey Hoyt, 203-837-2118<br>kelcey_hoyt@Praxair.com <br><br><br><br>Source: Airgas<br><br>http://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=373Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/press/pressrelease_archives.asp?PID=373Republic Steel Breaks Ground on New Electric Arc Furnace in Lorain<font size="2">Republic Steel, the nation's leading provider of special bar quality (SBQ) steel, today announced that contracts have been awarded and construction is underway for the new electric arc furnace and related equipment at its Lorain, Ohio, steelmaking facility. The company expects the first heat of steel from the new facility to be tapped during the 2nd Quarter of 2013.<br><br>The expansion is designed to meet growing customer demand for the company's high quality SBQ steel, driven by the automotive, capital equipment and energy markets.<br><br>The project will bring 449 new jobs and more than $1 billion dollars in annual economic activity to Ohio. The existing 489 jobs at the Lorain facility will be retained.<br><br>"This is a very proud day for Republic Steel," said Republic President and CEO Jaime Vigil. "This expansion will help us maintain our position as the industry leader in SBQ manufacturing. The additional capacity from the new furnace will allow us more flexibility and efficiency in delivering the highly engineered products our customers require."<br><br>About the Equipment<br><br>Republic Steel's new furnace is expected to increase the company's liquid steel production by 1.2 million tons annually and will account for Lorain's first significant growth in steelmaking in the 21st century. The new equipment will supply both Republic's bloom and billet casters allowing for the production of high quality SBQ bar and coil from .295" to 6-1/2" diameter, and 6", 10-1/2", 11-5/8", 12-1/4" and 13-1/2" diameter seamless tube rounds.<br><br>Features of the new state-of-the-art electric arc furnace include: a 150-ton heat size, eccentric bottom tapping (EBT), an exchangeable upper/lower shell, a 120/135 MVA furnace transformer, current conducting arms, oxy fuel burners, carbon and lime injection systems, a temperature/sampling system, and level 1 and level 2 automation. Major contracts for the project have been awarded to SMS Concast (for EAF process equipment), Siemens (for the yard substation and related equipment, and TES (for the furnace transformer).<br><br>Republic Steel History<br><br>Republic Steel has been producing and selling SBQ steel for more than 125 years. The company makes and sells more SBQ than any other company. Republic Steel was acquired in July 2005 by Industrias CH, S.A de C.V. (ICH), a rapidly growing steel producer and processor based in Mexico City. The company's strategic alliance with ICH helps strengthen its relationships with customers expanding in Mexico and South America. Since 2005, ICH has invested more than $600 million into Republic Steel to maintain the company's position as the forefront of the SBQ industry.<br><br>About Republic Steel<br><br>Republic Steel (formerly Republic Engineered Products, Inc.) is North America's leading supplier of special bar quality (SBQ) steel, a highly engineered product used in axles, drive trains, suspensions, and other critical components of automobiles, off-highway vehicles, and industrial equipment. Republic's products include hot-rolled steel bars, cold-finished steel bars, and bottom-poured ingots. With headquarters in Canton, Ohio, and steelmaking capabilities in Canton and Lorain, Ohio, the company operates value-added rolling and finishing facilities in Canton, Lorain, and Massillon, Ohio; Lackawanna, N.Y.; Gary, Ind.; and Hamilton, Ontario. Republic employs approximately 2,200 people.<br><br><br>Contact:<br>Mark Huemme<br>Republic Engineered Products<br>(330) 438-5750<br>mhuemme@republicengineered.com<br><br><br>Source: Republic Steel<br><br></font>http://www.steel-technology.com/projects/projects_archives.asp?PID=29Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/projects/projects_archives.asp?PID=29QuesTek Wins SBIR Phase II Award to Design and Develop a High-Strength, Thermally-Stable Aluminum AlloyQuesTek Wins SBIR Phase II Award to Design and Develop a High-Strength, Thermally-Stable Aluminum Alloyhttp://www.steel-technology.com/projects/projects_archives.asp?PID=28Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/projects/projects_archives.asp?PID=28 Nippon Steel Invests in Cold Rolling Mill in Nigeria Nippon Steel Invests in Cold Rolling Mill in Nigeriahttp://www.steel-technology.com/projects/projects_archives.asp?PID=27Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/projects/projects_archives.asp?PID=27Sumitomo Metals Invests and Takes Part in Canadoil Group’s New Steel Plate Mill in ThailandSumitomo Metals Invests and Takes Part in Canadoil Group’s New Steel Plate Mill in Thailandhttp://www.steel-technology.com/exhibitions/Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/exhibitions/METAL EXPO 2012Event Venue : 1 place de la Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris, France<br> Event Organisers : Reed Expositions France<br>Event Address : 1 place de la Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris, France<br>Event Email : info@reedexpo.frhttp://www.steel-technology.com/exhibitions/Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/exhibitions/Tube India InternationalEvent Venue : Bombay Exhibition Centre,Mumbai, India<br> Event Organisers : Messe Duesseldorf India Pvt. Ltd.<br>Event Address : Bombay Exhibition Centre,Mumbai, India<br>Event Email : info@md-india.comhttp://www.steel-technology.com/exhibitions/Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:29:16 GMThttp://www.steel-technology.com/exhibitions/Euro Blech 2012Event Venue : Exhibition Grounds, Hanover, Germany<br> Event Organisers : Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd<br>Event Address : Exhibition Grounds, Hanover, Germany<br>Event Email : info@euroblech.com