Many in the general power transmission industry think things are looking up these days. But they also know enough to keep from celebrating too much. Take the issue of steel-both its supply as well as the price. At Baldwin Supply, Ron Herem, vice president of marketing and business development, concedes he and his company have actually benefited from rising demand for steel-and the rising prices that go with it. "Steel has been a plus and minus, if you will," he explains, from his Minneapolis office. "The mines in northern Minnesota have been going great guns trying to keep up with the demand." The downside for Baldwin Supply is that they "are fighting the steel price increases that everyone is trying to push through as a result of that [demand]." he adds.
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