It's been eight years since the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and killed almost 3,000 innocent prople— enough time for two presidential elections; U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq; the fall of a dictatorship; the battle of New Orleans versus Katrina; the Great Recession; and countless other famous and infamous news-making events. However, none have supplanted the memory of that tragic morning when horrified Americans and our neighbors across the world watched the devastation unfold.

Throughout these eight years, many 9/11 memorials have been suggested. Some have been realized, some scrapped, and some are in development. Perhaps the most fitting to date, the USS New York, steamed into New York harbor Nov. 2 as firefighters, bagpipers, and those who lost loved ones on 9/11 watched. As reported on CNN.com, the new Navy assault ship's bow was fabricated using seven and a half tons of steel recovered from the wreckage of the WTC.

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In the October 2008 edition of Metal Center News, I came across Editor-in-Chief Tim Triplett’s editorial on three lawsuits filed against eight of the largest steel producers in the U.S.: AK Steel Holding Corp., ArcelorMittal USA, Commercial Metals, Gerdau Ameristeel Corp., Nucor Corp., SSAB Swedish Steel Corp., Steel Dynamics Inc., and U.S. Steel Corp. The suits, filed by Wilmington Steel Processing Inc., Philadelphia; Standard Iron Works, Scranton, Pa.; and Supreme Auto Transport LLC, Oakland County, Mich., claim that the steelmakers are involved in alleged price fixing.

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The best part of this activity is everyone can participate. Sure the Democrats have driven this point home in battleground states, such as Michigan and Ohio, where local citizens worry that all manufacturing jobs eventually will head overseas. The Democrats, if elected, are going to get tough and straighten out trade issues with our main supplier of affordable electronics and funny plastic things that sell for a $1.

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A summer survey of 72 senior-level manufacturing company owners and managers revealed that 93 percent of them consider rising material prices to be the No. 1 cost pressure facing the industry. That’s up from 43 percent in a survey conducted in January.

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These days, wherever I go … whomever I talk to … the conversation usually turns to high gas prices. When I shake my head at the ever-increasing cost of produce at the market, my first thought after "Should I buy these blueberries at this price?" is “It’s those high fuel costs!”

It's not just the food we eat and the products we buy that are affected by high fuel/transportation costs. A young man near and dear to my heart had to round up his change and visit a nearby Coinstar® machine to turn change into dollars for the gas to visit his mother for a Memorial Day picnic (sans blueberries). Even then, he was watching the fuel gauge closely.

With the price of crude oil escalating and the price at the pump following suit, could there possibly be a silver lining to high energy costs? Maybe.

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Unfortunately, there’s little relief in sight. John Surma, U.S. Steel’s chairman and CEO, told financial analysts in April that flat-rolled steel prices could increase 50 percent in the second quarter above the $646-per-ton first-quarter price. He then added that his company would not rule out surcharge costs to cover rising raw material costs.

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Are you finding it difficult to procure the steel you need at prices you can afford? Are you banking on the government to improve availability and affordability? You’d better hope that the latest idea under government consideration doesn’t worsen your problem.

The Associated Press reported today that Congress is looking at steel pennies and nickels to replace the current coins, which cost more to make than they are worth. How much more?

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My brother-in-law and fellow blogger, Chris Walker, is having trouble with his Internet provider, something not too unusual until you consider his locale and his problem. He’s spending a year in Mumbai, India, as part of a fellowship program that helps for-profit humanitarian enterprises find better ways to do business. But back at his apartment, Chris can’t pay his Internet bill. He isn’t broke. He just works all day, and he doesn’t have time to go home and wait for the bill collector to arrive. Yes, a bill collector—no credit cards, no online bill paying, no mailing in a check. Only if you hand over the monthly payment to the collector, in person, can you keep your service. Why? Chris’ blog hammers home the point: “Labor here is cheap, so why bother making the payment process more efficient?”

The labor conundrum was top of mind for many April 1-3 at the Precision Metalforming Association’s Regional METALFORM in Birmingham, Ala., a gathering of industry professionals who, as ever, fight to keep work in North America.

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The Steel Index reported that for the week of Feb. 11-17, the price of hot-rolled coil hit a 12-month high at around $700 per short ton. That’s almost $200 above the 12-month low.

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This week two metal tube and pipe companies announced plant closings.

Wolverine Tube Inc. announced Nov. 6 that it will discontinue its U.S. plumbing tube business and will close manufacturing facilities located in Decatur, Ala., and Booneville, Miss. The same day, U.S. Pipe & Foundry announced that it is cutting almost all of its work force at its Burlington City, N.J., facility. The reasons behind these actions?

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