On February 26, Texas, US-based steel and metal product manufacturer Commercial Metals Company announced its decision to exit the joist and deck business by way of sale and/or closure of the relevant facilities.
According to a company press release, commenting on the decision, president and CEO Murray R. McClean said, "We continue to review our product lines, geographic dispersion, and vertical integration consistent with our strategic plan to determine the best allocation of resources for the company. The outlook for joist consumption in the North American markets is weak. This product line has suffered low demand, depressed prices, and shrinking margins - all leading to unacceptable losses. By exiting this business, we believe the capital invested in these operations will be better deployed in our other downstream fabricating operations."