Ian Darby replaces Martin Maley as managing director of NASS
The National Association of Steel Service Centres (NASS) wishes to announce that Martin Maley has left the post of Director General with effect from the 28th February 2023.
I am sure that you will join with us to thank Martin for the valuable contribution he has made to the Association in his time in the position.
The Management/Executive Committee have met with a prospective replacement and are pleased to announce that Mr Ian Darby has been employed on an interim basis to the post. The committee have tasked Ian with bringing in new, and hopefully encouraging previous members to re-join the Association.
Ian has been working as the Finance Manager for NASS, and a lot of you will know his father, John Darby who worked in the same position for many years before him.
Hopefully most of you will be at the joint NASS / ISTA meeting in March at the “Hilton Garden Inn, Birmingham” where you will have the chance to meet Ian who is looking forward to introducing himself to you and to give him a chance to explain his vision for the future of NASS.
He is also very keen to hear from the members of NASS as to their ideas on how to improve the services that NASS provide.
Looking forward to meeting you all at the Hilton Garden Inn, on the 23rd March.
UK demand solid but ‘judgement day’ is coming: NASS
The National Association of steel service centers has warned the model of buying forward in a falling market cannot continue noting there is “a judgement day appearing” as we enter the new year.
While pricing has been weak throughout the year, the message in the latest annual report from director general, Peter Corfield, noted a reasonably good year for volumes.
“The maintaining of revenues by purchasing material ahead of the game in a market which has price levels on a downward spiral cannot continue, with a judgement day appearing ever closer as we approach 2016,” Corfield said.
UK demand for NASS Core Products in 2015 is expected to be circa six million metric tons; slightly down on 2014 levels but higher than any of the previous five years. Long products outperformed flats with volumes 8% above 2014 numbers. Structural Sections in particular benefited from the strong UK demand within construction, with NASS putting the volumes at 1.2 million mt. NASS members reported an 11% improvement on 2014.
Plate and profiling activity after the first 10 months of 2015 was 4% higher than last year. On the flats side hot rolled volumes were stable, cold rolled was down 15% and Hot Dipped Galvanised was 3% down.
“Whilst cost cutting exercises have been the main focus to address sustainability of steel businesses, the longer term strategies will clearly have to pursue increased added value activities and productivity measures to ensure products are processed and supplied to the marketplace as efficiently as possible,” Corfield said.
— Peter Brennan, PLATTS
