Contributor: Nicholas Bell

Nicholas Bell

Nicholas brings over half a decade of experience covering metals markets, pricing trends, and supply chain dynamics. Prior to joining AMU, he reported on aluminum, high-temperature scrap, and ferro-alloy markets at Argus Media, with additional coverage of minor metals and rare earths. His work has built deep expertise in North American metals pricing and trade flows. A native of Houston, Nicholas holds a bachelor’s degree in Media Production and an MBA with a concentration in Finance, both from the University of Houston.

Lawsuit challenges Aluminum Dynamics' plans for Arizona plant

A lawsuit in filed against the City of Benson, Arizona could delay Aluminum Dynamics' flagship secondary smelter.

PPI and M3 data: Inflation makes aluminum growth disappear

July's producer price index (PPI) and manufacturing survey (M3) data show an aluminum sector that looks steady on paper but is shrinking once inflation is stripped away, with costs cascading unevenly through the supply chain.

AMU Survey: Lead times split by product group

The August AMU survey reveals lead times lengthening for sheet but easing for billet and extrusions, with distributors, producers, manufacturers, and recyclers each reporting conditions shaped by their position in the value chain.

Crosscurrents in non-residential construction Part 2: Dodge data

Parsing out conflicting construction data from the census, Dodge and other sources to see where the market may be headed.

Crosscurrents in non-residential construction Part 1: Spending, billings, backlog

Conflicting reads across census spending, backlog surveys, and Dodge planning data point to a construction market where commercial may be nearing a floor, infrastructure remains buoyed by long pipelines, and heavy industrial lags.

Fulton acquires AFCO as Metra builds cross-border extrusion platform

Private equity-backed moves by Fulton Asset Management and KPS Capital Partners highlight how consolidation is reshaping North American extrusion capacity, with strategies aimed squarely at construction and industrial end markets.

Labor standoff at Pace's Pennsylvania die-casting plants

The standoff at Pace Industries' Pennsylvania operations offers a snapshot of its Loyalhanna plant and how they fit into Pace's wider aluminum network.

LKQ sells its self-service business

LKQ Corp.'s decision to sell its Self Service segment may look like a minor portfolio shift, but it strikes at the heart of the U.S. auto dismantling systems that feeds into the zorba supply chain.

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Section 232 derivative guide, Part 2: Transformers, wire and cable

Part 2 of a deeper look at the expanded Section 232 tariffs on aluminum derivatives.