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1.) To what extent is Nucor's historical performance a result of the structure and characteristics of the steel industry?
An undeniable correlation exists between the historical performance of Nucor and the structure and characteristics of the steel industry. Nucor struggled in a variety of industries before consolidating operations to focus on the company's most profitable steel joist business. The inflexibility of the major integrated steelmakers provided Nucor the opportunity to horizontally integrate by building a minimill. The addition of manufacturing capabilities provided a cheaper sourcing option for Nucor's Vulcraft business and led to their entrance into the steel industry.
The U.S. steel industry, at the time of this case analysis, was defined by a high degree of competition due to the inability of integrated steelmakers, (i.e., U.S. Steel, LTV Steel, and Bethlehem Steel) to react to changing market conditions. High levels of corporate bureaucracy constrained the large steel mills as multi-layered labor structures resulted in slow processes. Integrated manufacturers experienced lower ROE rations than their U.S. manufacturing counterparts as large union obligations constrained the ability to make necessary technological investments. Foreign competitors took advantage of this situation by providing less expensive and higher quality steel due to superior technological innovation. Domestic competitors, however, took a different approach. Rather than attempting to compete with the integrated mills on the same scale, mini mills set up less expensive and more flexible operations while focusing on the low-end steel ...