Steel News in brief – week of August 15, 2005

Steel News in brief – week of August 15, 2005

Cleveland-Cliffs adds a “small” piece to museum Cleveland-Cliffs Corp. recently donated a 170-ton capacity Cleveland-Cliffs’ production truck from their Michigan operations to the Cliffs Shaft Museum in Ishpeming, Michigan. The truck was divided into two pieces and hauled from Cliff’s Tilden Mine entrance in National Mine, Michigan to the museum three miles away. The truck itself was towed behind a logging truck while the box section was transported via flatbed trailer. The truck stands 21 feet high and when new costs $1 million. It is being phased out in favor of new trucks with 240 and 260-ton capacities. Former AK Steel president to try his hand at politics Former AK Steel president John Hritz has indicated his intention to challenge Ohio Republican Senator Mike Dewine in the 2006 election. Mr. Hritz says he has formed an exploratory committee to investigate the feasibility of such a venture. In a press release he said, “The United States, like Ohio, needs leaders who share the same concerns and values as their constituents." Hritz’s stint as AK Steel president lasted a mere nine months. He, and then-CEO James Wardrop were asked to resign by AK Steel’s board of directors on September 18, 2003. Hritz then sued the company for millions of dollars in severance pay and retirement benefits. He later settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed “8-figure” amount. WTC steel to be used in new U.S. Navy vessel 10 tons of steel from the fallen World Trade Center towers will be used in a new US Navy amphibious transport dock, the USS New York At a naming ceremony in 2002, New York Governor George Pataki said, “USS New York will ensure that all New Yorkers and the world will never forget the evil attacks of September 11, and the courage and compassion New Yorkers showed in response to terror.” The ship is scheduled for commission in 2008. Other WTC steel found rusting away in St. Louis 20 tons of World Trade Center steel, slated for use in the O’Fallon, Missouri municipal center, has been found rusting away in a nearby St. Louis construction yard. New York City officials donated the steel for the center’s construction as a living testament to those who died on September 11, 2001. But a funny thing happened shortly after the former mayor left office: the steel disappeared from a shed protecting it from the elements. A local TV news station found the steel after a brief investigation, at the north St. Louis construction yard. Plans are now underway to move the steel to the O’Fallon city hall police department where it will stand as a testament to first responders everywhere. Stainless steel going down the toilet The newest fad in home design may be found just as easily at the state penitentiary. From toilets to sinks, stainless steel bath fixtures are latest fad in bathroom design. Interior designers say the new bathroom designs are the latest development in a surge of stainless popularity. Industrial-looking kitchen appliances have been enjoying a renaissance in recent years with countertops and backsplashes, reminiscent of 1950’s design, making headway. The stainless steel look allows people to avoid committing to a color and is prized for its durability and easy maintenance.