Tampa Steel Conference: Steel grades reallocate as aluminum holds ground in auto design

At the 37th annual Tampa Steel Conference in Florida, CRU Americas’ Head of Consulting Lynn Lupori moderated a Friday panel on automotive material strategy.

Abey Abraham, Managing Principal at Ducker Carlisle, and Michele Arbaugh, Metals Procurement Expert at Tesla, focused on steel’s role in vehicle design while acknowledging aluminum’s competitive position.

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.