Pacesetter

04/13/2023

We had a blast at Pacesetter's Annual Egg Hunt! 🥕🐰

It was a fun break for our team after Easter and Spring Break. The weather was beautiful and we had so much fun hunting for hundreds of eggs that were scattered outside.

But the fun didn't stop there! Many eggs held a ticket inside with a number that was then used for one of our many awesome prizes. It was a great way to reward our hardworking team and spend some time together as the Pacesetter family.

04/02/2021

Our favorite part of Braves baseball? "Steeling" bases!

Happy opening day from Team Pacesetter! GO BRAVES!

03/23/2021

Industrial production and housing starts fell recently. Let’s hope it is just a blip and not the beginning of a trend. Gasoline prices remain on an aggressive upward path. Add steel along with lumber and copper tubing to the list of building products that are getting hard to find. Our domestic steel mills are running hot and prices continue to escalate. We are expecting imports to trend up for the next few months. The auto industry is wrestling with the ongoing chip shortage and production has been negatively affected. That industry is also wondering if their investments in electric cars will pay off.

Industrial production and housing starts fell recently. Let’s hope it is just a blip and not the beginning of a trend. Gasoline prices remain on an aggressive upward path. Add...

03/16/2021

The stock market and the economy in general continues to progress. Inflation is creeping in and gasoline prices are increasing. Our steel mills are running hot and steel import volumes are growing. The US government is working on schemes to increase demand for electric cars.

The stock market and the economy in general continues to progress. Inflation is creeping in and gasoline prices are increasing. Our steel mills are running hot and steel import volumes...

03/09/2021

The steel industry remains hot and the production lost to the winter storm will prolong the shortages. Supply chain and consumer demand patterns are stressing logistics companies and freight rates of all types are getting more expensive. Gasoline prices are on an uphill trend. Steel imports are showing the beginnings of a volume increase that might continue for many months. The auto industry is trying to navigate the global microchip shortage which might throttle vehicle production for the balance of this year before they get caught up.

The winter storm in the west did some damage to homes and businesses but the good news is it is over and things are getting back to normal. The steel...

03/02/2021

The US economy continues to fight through the obstacles of the last 12 months. The GDP continues to grow, Durable Goods Orders jumped up, and residential home sales are gaining speed like a steam engine. Gasoline prices are going up along with the escalating price of oil. Hydrogen projects are in the news in 30 countries now. Steel making in the US is looking pretty good, and for now, imports remain weak. The new J.D. Power dependability study was released. And you were lucky if you owned a new F-150 Ford truck in last week’s snow storm.

The US economy continues to fight through the obstacles of the last 12 months. The GDP continues to grow, Durable Goods Orders jumped up, and residential home sales is gaining...

02/23/2021

Weather in the news this week. The winter storm from last week disrupted a large part of the country and it negatively affected industrial production and the transportation of goods (like steel). Gasoline prices are increasing rapidly. Inflation in the producer sector is increasing. Industrial production continues to grow. Our steel mills are using more of their capacity. Imports are starting to increase volume. The auto industry is currently fighting through chip shortages, bad weather, and earthquakes.

Weather in the news this week. The winter storm from last week disrupted a large part of the country and it negatively affected industrial production and the transportation of goods...

02/16/2021

The global shortage of microchips may last for most of this year. Microchips are used in personal computers and industrial servers and databases but also in many things we take for granted like our car or truck, appliances like stoves and refrigerators, or TV sets, cell phones, laptops, even in toys. The shortage has triggered a fight between industries to make their deals with chip manufacturers for availability. Demographics are changing and no one knows yet how things will settle, and it is causing chaos. A migration of workers between industries is occurring as well.

The global shortage of microchips seems to be the new debacle and some think it will last for most of this year. Microchips are used in personal computers and industrial...

02/09/2021

Construction spending is holding up, manufacturing and service industries in the US are continuing to grow. Oil companies are losing money due to pandemic triggered lack of demand even though prices at the retail pumps are rising. Our domestic steel mills are running hot and can not keep up with demand. Steel imports have not made inroads to our market yet. Hydrogen isn’t just for cars. Steelmakers are figuring out how to incorporate hydrogen into steel making to reduce emissions. Just as the auto industry was getting production back to acceptable levels, a shortage of computer chips are threatening output.

Construction spending is holding up, manufacturing and service industries in the US are continuing to grow. Oil companies are losing money due to pandemic triggered lack of demand even though...

02/02/2021

Consumer confidence is up, manufacturing is up, home sales are up, the Fed is keeping interest rates down. All good news. Gasoline prices are edging up slightly. Steel mill output sagged a little this week. Steel imports remain weak. The battle for mobility and transport market share between hydrogen and Li-ion batteries continues to escalate. J.D. Power passed away at age 89. He helped consumers by publicizing good quality as well as weaknesses among all vehicle manufacturers in the US market and the yearly J.D. Power awards are recognized standards in the auto industry.

Consumer confidence is up, manufacturing is up, home sales are up, the Fed is keeping interest rates down. All good news. Gasoline prices are edging up slightly. Steel mill output...

01/26/2021

More signs of life in our economy. Railroads are moving more products and more houses are being built. The price of gasoline is edging up. Steel mills are making more product than they have in a long time. Steel imports remain subdued but we are expecting an uptick in Q2. New vehicle inventories are being replenished. More infrastructure for electric vehicles is being built. The Russians are going to take a shot at getting a piece of the US vehicle market.

More signs of life in our economy. Railroads are moving more products and more houses are being built. The price of gasoline is edging up. Steel mills are making more...

01/19/2021

Time will tell how global commerce will reinvent itself in the wake of the pandemic. People who can work from home, will do it. Traffic patterns will change and real estate values will correct as people move out of cities and into suburbia or possibly more rural locations. Gasoline prices are rising even though demand is falling. Domestic steel mills are running full out. Raw material costs for steel making are spiking. The domestic market is so hot that it is attracting import tonnage and 2nd quarter is expected to see a big increase in arrivals. COVID-19 is putting a big damper on the winter season car show circuit. People are hoping by next year that enough time and vaccinations will have passed so that normal life has a chance to return, and car shows. The newest problem in the auto industry is lack of semiconductors for on board computers. Vehicle output is being limited until chip makers can catch up. There can be as many as 50 computer chips in a modern vehicle and electronics contributes to 40% of the cost of making a vehicle these days.

Time will tell how global commerce will reinvent itself in the wake of the pandemic. People who can work from home, will do it. Traffic patterns will change and real estate...