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Straightline Expands to Western New York With New Distribution Service; Customers Have Greater Control Over Price and Delivery for Steel PurchasesPRNewswire Manufacturers throughout Western New York have a new option for purchasing steel -- Straightline Source, a technology-based steel distribution division of United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X), America's largest integrated steelmaker. Straightline offers instant price quotations and competitive prices for a wide range of carbon flat-rolled steel products. "As Straightline continues to grow, we're pleased to extend our products and services to New York's metalworking and manufacturing communities of Buffalo, Niagara, Jamestown and Rochester," said Robert H. Dryburgh, Straightline president. "Our streamlined approach to steel buying will create more efficiency and lower supply chain costs for steel buyers and their companies." Officially launched last fall, Straightline currently serves customers in 20 states from the Southeast to the North Central region of the country. Additional rollouts are scheduled throughout the year across the United States in areas with a high concentration of steel customers. Straightline uses advanced supply chain management technologies to optimize distribution of processed steel products including hot-rolled, cold- rolled, galvanized and strip mill plate products. Using telephone, fax or the Internet, customers can order custom-processed products or select from a catalog of finished goods. Purchases can be made on a spot or contract basis. Straightline's Customer Advantage With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., Straightline serves manufacturing customers of all sizes that typically do not buy directly from steel producers. By leveraging information technology, Straightline provides a direct steel buying experience, allowing customers to have greater control over their transactions. All manufacturers visiting http://www.straightline.com/ have access to StraightQuote™, a service that provides instant price quotations, arranged in a matrix, based on varying combinations of quantity and delivery dates. Customer activity with StraightQuote has grown significantly, now delivering an average of 2,000 quotes per week. More than 65 percent of customers that make spot purchases enter their orders directly through the website; however, orders can also be placed by phone with the assistance of customer account managers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, Straightline offers metallurgical, as well as sales support within each district. "We're enthusiastic about supporting the customers in Western New York with a better way to purchase steel products," said District Manager Tom Good. "We put the buyers in control of price and delivery with advanced tools and services making them more efficient and also making their job easier." A Growing Enterprise Straightline takes ownership of all phases of the transaction, from the purchase of steel through order fulfillment. It does this by partnering with a growing network of strategically located steel processors that hold inventory and perform custom processing. Straightline sources the steel through multiple suppliers, with finished goods shipped from processors to customers by carriers coordinated through Straightline's logistics partner. Processing partners are selected based on rigorous criteria, including ISO certification. By partnering with Straightline, processors benefit by increasing utilization of their equipment and facilities without the added costs of sales, marketing or inventory, thus improving their overall profitability. To date, more than 2,000 companies have registered with Straightline, and the number continues to grow. Steel buyers who want to learn more, obtain free no-obligation quotes or place orders with 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 a distribution business for carbon flat-roll 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 140 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.ussteel.com/ Web site: http://www.straightline.com/ Company News On-Call: |
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