Under the Wire

STEEL SHIPMENTS UP IN 1994

Shipments of steel mill products by U.S. mills during 1994 were up 7.1 percent over 1993 and at their highest level since 1979, according to year-end figures compiled by the American Iron and Steel Institute, Washington.

Shipments in 1994 totalled about 95 million net tons, up from the 89 million tons shipped in 1993. They were the highest annual shipments since 1979, when the industry shipped 100 million net tons.

"The 1994 increase in domestic steel shipments marks the third consecutive year off solid growth in our industry," says Andrew Sharkey, president and CEO of AISI.

"It is driven by the strength of most of our customer groups, including automotive, construction and machinery," he continues.

PANELISTS TRASH SOLID WASTE FLOW CONTROL

Representatives from the public sector, the financial community, the manufacturing industry and the recycling industry described problems with solid waste flow control at a seminar in Washington, calling flow control everything from an excuse for poor decision making to -- in the case of recyclables -- "theft of private property."

The seminar was hosted by the Solid Wastes Management Association for members and staff of Congress on the problems of implementing flow control.

"Flow control is a hidden tax," said Theresa Larson, spokesperson for the National Association of Manufacturers.

RRT COMPLETES GLASS FACILITY SALE

Resource Recycling Technologies Inc., Vestal, N.Y., has completed the sale to Continental Recycling Inc. certain assets in its Syracuse, N.Y., facility used in processing post-consumer glass containers for sale.

"Of the $1.75 million we receive from the sale, $650,000 will be used to pay down debt and the balance will be applied to multi-material and paper projects and related acquisitions which we feel offer greater growth and profit potential for the company," says Lawrence Schorr, RRT president and chief executive officer.

RRT will continue to operate the assets for Continental for up to one year under the negotiated management and operations agreement.