APRIL 2020
IN THIS ISSUE
Member-to-Member Initiative
COVID-19 CARE Act & Resources
Best Practice: Member-to-Member in Action
Introducing NASA Market Pulse
New Board Members & Committee Chairs
Upcoming NASA Events & Webinars
Meet Dave Rownd - Stark Metal
Welcome New Member - Venture Steel
Member-to-Member Initiative Ramps Up
A new initiative slated for roll out at the now canceled Annual Meeting, is being launched virtually. “The member-to-member initiative encourages members to leverage the value of their ownership in NASA and reach out to one another as well as our preferred suppliers,” explained Mike Wagner, President of North American Steel Alliance (NASA).
 
With 122 members in 425 locations, membership in NASA means a much broader inventory and supply chain than that of any one business. “Our members are serving every industry and operate in every major market across North America. We have a vast network of preferred suppliers and fellow owners,” Wagner noted. Access to this vast network is only an email or a phone call away.
 
Having access to this tremendous network has never been more important than now, as we manage our way through the inevitable supply disruptions and urgent customer demands resulting from COVID-19. “We want to remind members that if they are needing material and are unable to meet a customer request, to please reach out to one another or to our preferred suppliers first ,” stressed Wagner. “We all benefit when business stays within the co-op.” 
 
Steps to Facilitate Member-to-Member Business
  • ­Review and update your member profile to include all locations; all stocked products; all processing and value-add services; and key contacts
  • Update your bids distribution list to include fellow members
  • Give first consideration to fellow members
  • Promote your NASA membership on all quote forms
  • Look for NASA membership on all bid forms
Time to Phone a Friend
With travel temporarily restricted during COVID-19, now is a great time to reach out to fellow members. Let others know of any new material you may be stocking as well as any new processing capabilities you have added. Have your sales and purchasing teams also reach out to their colleagues at other member companies. Ask if there is product they sometimes need, but don’t usually stock.
Once business bounces back, you will be thankful for these new relationships!
NASA has compiled a list of small business resources for our members.
Best Practice: Member-to-Member in Action
It all started when Dusty Ward and his team at Central Tube & Bar received a customer request for product that the Arkansas company doesn’t stock. “The customer was located near Sabel Steel and needed multiple deliveries per week. We knew Sabel Steel’s capabilities and knew we could trust them as a NASA member,” explained Ward. It was a natural extension of the NASA networking to turn this opportunity over to Sabel Steel because of their branch in Georgia.
 
“The customer was outside of Central Tube & Bar’s territory and needed less-than-truckload quantities of flat bar. So we set up a meeting with all three parties,” recalled Keith Sabel. “So far, things are going well. We have been successfully providing LTL quantities to this new customer,” reported Sabel.
 
The member-to-member initiative was a win-win for all parties involved. “Central Tube & Bar was able to create a ton of good will with the customer for future opportunities that better fit our capabilities. It also allowed us to create a level of trust between Sabel and CTB for future collaborations,” noted Ward. “We did not have this customer prior to Dusty reaching out. And I doubt we would have landed the business without this NASA connection,” added Sabel.
 
Equally important are the co-op benefits created by member-to-member initiatives like this. “It was very important to us that a NASA member have this business. Even though CTB didn’t sell these tons, the tons will go towards the overall NASA spend with our mills and that helps everybody,” said Ward. The sentiment is echoed by Sabel who added, “The members are all stockholders of the co-op, so anything that enhances the co-op benefits all of us, either indirectly or directly.”
Introducing NASA Market Pulse
NASA Management launched a new report this month to provide members with market outlook data collected from a monthly NASA member market survey and NASA supplier shipment data.

“Market Pulse was a suggestion that originated with the Supplier Council,” reported Deana Lecy, Director of Metals Program at NASA. “We realized that the data collected by NASA members and suppliers had tremendous value. Market Pulse compiles the data in a meaningful way,” noted Tom Muth, Chairman of the Supplier Council.
 
While the NASA member dashboard provides insight into buying history, NASA Market Pulse is intended to be more forward looking. “Each month we will survey member sentiment as it relates to next 30-days thinking, inventory positions, and pricing expectations,” Lecy explained. The survey will be sent via email to members, asking 10 questions and recording the responses anonymously.
 
The survey responses is compiled along with data collected from the daily downloads that suppliers already provide to NASA regarding shipments to members. “Shipment trends by product will now be reported so suppliers can see how they are performing within the co-op,” said Lecy. Market Pulse also provides members with information across several product lines, which could inform inventory decisions.
 
“We will continue to share data with members at our Annual Meeting and Forecast Conference. But we anticipate that the monthly insights in Market Pulse will be even more timely and valuable to members,” noted Lecy.  

NASA Members and Suppliers: login to your NASA account to access the latest NASA Market Pulse Report. Access the report>
New Board and Committee Chairs Unveiled
The Annual Meeting is typically when people rotate on or off the NASA Board of Directors. Despite the cancellation of the Annual Meeting, the 2020-2021 Board of Directors has been determined through our normal Proxy voting process.

The 2020-2021 Board is a strategic balance of fresh perspectives and regard for our culture and history. We have also brought new faces and fresh ideas to several committee chair positions. Serving on a committee is a great way to learn more about the co-op and network with other members.

“I want to thank all our past and current Board members for their insight and contributions. They have helped to lay the ground work for what promises to be a robust future for our co-op,” said Mike Wagner, President of NASA.

2020-2021 Board of Directors
David Bernstein (Chairman)
Paul Blaisdell (Treasurer)
Rick Costantini
Paul Gedeon (New)
Mike Morse (Vice Chairman)
Dave Rownd (New)
Keith Sabel
Roch Theriault
Rich Williams

Anyone wishing to volunteer for a committee, please contact Mike Wagner .
2020-2021 Committee Chairs

Executive Committee   
David Bernstein

Finance/Budget/Audit Committee   
Paul Blaisdell

Membership Committee   
Rich Williams

Nominating Committee  
David Bernstein

Annual Meeting Committee   
Rick Costantini

Marketing Communications Committee
Dave Rownd

Technology Committee 
Mike Morse

Supplier Council  
Tom Muth
What They Are Saying....
NASA Network reached out to the newest members of the Board of Directors for comment on their new responsibilities. Here’s what they had to say:
“I have been a NASA member for 10 years and am eager to take my participation to the next level. It was a real honor to be invited to join the board, because I really admire the history of the organization and the direction we are headed. I am looking forward to building upon the great relationships I have with suppliers and seeking out and encouraging more member-to-member opportunities to further grow the co-op.” — Paul Gedeon, Lane Steel
“I am looking forward to working with Colleen McCurdy in building upon the NASA Brand. The value of NASA is something that we can promote to help recruit new members. We also can highlight these benefits to end-users, positioning our members as part of a more powerful whole.”
— Dave Rownd, Stark Metal and chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee
In Lieu of the Annual Meeting
As you know, the 2020 Annual Meeting was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Management Team is now working to substitute the face-to-face event with a series of alternatives. “We are hopeful that we will all be able to meet in October for the Forecast Conference, which will be enhanced to make up for some of the content originally planned for the Annual Meeting,” reported Mike Wagner, President of NASA. Look for email announcements with regard to additional webinars, updates on suppliers, and member surveys.
Upcoming NASA Events
Member Webinar: NASA Metals Update , April 30, 11:00 AM CST
2020 Forecast Conference , October 19-20, 2020, Rosemont, IL
2021 Annual Meeting , April 28-30, 2021 in Phoenix, AZ
NASA Webinar Series Continues
With many of our members working from home during this time, we are ramping up a number of webinars, in partnership with our suppliers. Member-owners will receive calendar invites to participate in these efficient learning demonstrations. However, all employees at our member companies can join the webinar. So please share your invitations with appropriate colleagues.

Past Webinar recordings are also available for members to view on-demand (login to the Member Portal, click on “Supplier Info,” and drop down to “Supplier Webinars”). If you have questions about the NASA Webinar Series, please contact Deana Lecy
Meet Dave Rownd - Stark Metal
Dave Rownd
Close Up
 
Birthplace:
Canton, Ohio—home of the Professional Football Hall of Fame!
 
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University
 
Hobbies:
Golf, but the older I get, the worse I seem to play. I also love traveling and spending time with the better Rownd, my wife Theresa.
 
Favorite steel application:
 Everything! I love pointing out to people everything that is made from steel. Wherever you are, steel applications are never far away!
NASA Network sat down with one of the newest members of the NASA Board of Directors, David Rownd of Stark Metal in Alliance, Ohio. Here he tells us more about himself and the value of networking.

Q. How long have you been involved in NASA?
A. Stark Metal joined NASA in 2006.
 
What attracted you to the organization?
A. I was a guest at a Gerdau event (then they were Ameristeel). Jim Dabney started telling me about the NASA organization and its benefits. It seemed like Stark Metal would be a good fit, the “right” member. 
 
Q. What other benefits have you discovered since joining?
A. About ten years ago Mike Morse (Morse Steel) created a small group within NASA, which includes Orlando Garcia (Everglades Steel), Steve Heneveld (Harbor Steel) and myself. We meet twice a year when the NASA members get together and we’ve visited each other’s businesses. This has been a great way to share challenges and accomplishments as well as advice about how we can each lead our business better. Geographically we are far apart, so we don’t compete with one another. But we do have similar challenges. This network is a direct result of my NASA membership and it has helped me develop as a manager and owner.
 
Q. You are now chairman of the Communications and Marketing committee. What do you hope to accomplish?
A. The industry has seen a lot of technology advancements in terms of communications in the past several years. I strive to get the right information to our members and suppliers in the most efficient ways to engage our members and build an even stronger co-op. We have to balance this desire with the reality that we have a very diverse membership with regard to age and technical savvy.
 
Q. How did you get interested in the steel industry?
A. I took a sales job in the chemical industry right out of college. But it was a revolving door—I was the seventh sales person in two years. It wasn’t long before I was dismissed and moved back home. My dad suggested my sister and I start brokering steel. I was just 23 years old, but my dad had started a slitting business and eventually came over to Stark Metal and led the organization for our first 15 years. He has since retired and my sister left the business in 2000. Last year we celebrated our 30 th year in business!
 
Welcome New Member
In February, NASA welcomed new member-owner, Venture Steel to the co-op. Please extend a virtual welcome to Tony Kafato, President of Venture Steel. Call (416-798-9328) or send an email to say hello.
 
Venture Steel offers carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum through its facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The company is headquartered outside Toronto, Canada.
NASA Network is published by the North American Steel Alliance and is intended for the benefit of our members and suppliers. Feel free to share this communication with your employees. And let us know how we are doing! If you have an idea for an article or feedback to an item in this issue, please contact Colleen McCurdy, Director of Marketing at colleen@steelalliance.com
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