Makers of processing equipment are feeling the effects of the distressed metals market. Declining sales and uncertainty about the future have made many customers hesitant to invest in new machinery. "Early on, when the price of steel began to fall, people thought it would be a short-lived event, so it didn't have much of an impact," says Al Waigand, vice president of sales and marketing for Butech Bliss, Salem, Ohio. "But after a few quarters, everyone began to realize prices for flat-rolled carbon steel and oil country tubular goods were going to remain low for a longer period of time. This has had an impact on major equipment orders and pending capital projects."
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