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Straightline Now Operating in 34 StatesAddition of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland Completes Straightline's Steel Distribution Coverage Across Eastern Half of CountryPRNewswire Straightline Source, the unique steel distribution division of United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X), has completed its coverage of the eastern portion of the country. Now companies in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland have a new source for carbon flat- rolled steel. Straightline serves transactional buyers by instantly rendering up to 16 different price quotes for a single inquiry, letting the buyer choose a price based on their preferred combination of quantity and delivery date. Straightline also serves contractual buyers by offering advanced planning capabilities that facilitate inventory and materials management. Hot-rolled, cold-rolled and galvanized sheet and coil, as well as strip mill plate are among the processed steel products available through Straightline. "In order to keep pace with today's highly competitive marketplace, companies realize that they must work smarter and more efficiently than ever before," said Bob Dryburgh, Straightline president. "The sourcing and procurement services provided by Straightline give steel buyers the edge they need to lower purchasing costs and to improve supply chain efficiency." Officially launched last fall, Straightline has expanded rapidly, serving customers in 34 states from Maine to Florida in the East, through Minnesota to Texas in the Midwest and Southwest. Straightline's growth plans include expansion into other highly concentrated areas of steel buyers across the country by mid-2003. Straightline's Customer Advantage Customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland will have access to staff metallurgists and a sales support team led by District Manager Mike Nauman. "This region is heavily populated with both general and precision sheet metal fabricators that work largely with the HVAC, office furniture, transportation and shipbuilding industries," said Nauman. "Straightline offers buyers in this area a low-cost and highly experienced supplier for all of their steel procurement needs." In addition to custom-processed products, Straightline also offers spot buyers a variety of pre-packaged sheets for next day delivery. Contract customers will soon have access to a variety of planning and inventory management tools on the Straightline web site, enabling them to view part files, review usage patterns, upload forecasts and initiate releases electronically. Straightline takes ownership of all phases of the transaction, from the sourcing of steel through order fulfillment. Straightline purchases steel from multiple suppliers, holding inventory within a network of 19 strategically located, highly qualified steel processors that perform custom processing. Finished goods are shipped from processor locations to customers by carriers coordinated through Straightline's logistics partner. A Growing Enterprise To date, more than 3,900 companies have registered with Straightline, and the number continues to grow. More than 63 percent of spot purchases are entered directly by customers via http://www.straightline.com/; however, orders can also be placed by phone with the assistance of customer account managers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Steel buyers who want to obtain a free no-obligation quote, place orders or learn more about Straightline can do so by visiting http://www.straightline.com/ or by calling Straightline Customer Care toll-free at 1-866-252-0488. Straightline Source is a division of United States Steel Corporation and specializes in distribution of carbon flat-rolled steel to customers of all sizes that do not typically buy steel goods directly from steel producers. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Straightline has a growing staff of 150 employees. Visit Straightline at http://www.straightline.com/. SOURCE: Straightline Source CONTACT: Maggie Bray of Magnet Communications, +1-412-456-4308, or Web site: http://www.straightline.com/ Company News On-Call: |
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