Devour!
The Chinese economy is devouring the world—commodities as well as finished goods. But when the dragon is full, what becomes of global markets? And what if this dragon is, in fact, insatiable? by Ted C. Fishman

Sometimes You're the Chain, Sometimes You're the Link
Today's supply chain issues require a range of solutions to seal long-term customer relationships. by Malcolm Wheatley

Exceed or Else
DaimlerChrysler Corp.'s top performing suppliers have a shot at securing more business. However, metals distributors can't easily break into this global supply chain. by Ross Foti

Satisfaction Guaranteed
Moving beyond basic transactions to provide higher-margin value-added services appeals to companies looking for closer ties to their customers. If CRM represents a way to break out of a business cycle driven solely by price, why has the metals industry been slow to adopt it? by Samuel Greengard

The Strength of Samson
Macsteel Group's owner and founder Eric Samson is bullish on America.

Advocacy

Under Scrutiny
To rally support for U.S. manufacturers, two determined congressmen formed the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus. Unfortunately, the caucus has proven to be all show and no go. by Lauren P. Strandquist

Education

Business Intelligence
Executive education provides an opportunity to learn from the hard-won experience of others, replacing proven best practices for trial-and-error. by Natalie Bauer

Commentary

Does the Tort System Need Reform?
by Steve Weiner

Research

Master Your Domain
Take a deeper look at the MSCI Metals Activity Report to gauge where you stand among your peers—and plot how to move ahead of the pack. by Ross Foti

Guest Column

Where's Your Value?
by Gail Fosler, executive vice president and chief economist, The Conference Board

Product Spotlight

Forklifts
When choosing a forklift, metals service center management looks for the best operational features, coupled with durability, dependability and flexibility. With those factors in mind, Forward presents a sampling of popular models.