Michael Cowden Joins SMU Team

CRU and Steel Market Update are pleased to announce that on 4^th January 2021, Michael Cowden will become the newest member of the Steel Market Update team.

Michael will join SMU as Senior Editor where he will bring his experience reporting on flat rolled and plate markets, steel pricing, news and steel-related human-interest stories.

Cowden joins SMU after spending 13 years at American Metal Market (AMM) where he wrote close to 8,000 articles. During his career, he covered flat rolled, long products, steel pipe and tube, as well as aluminum. In his most recent position, he was responsible for Fastmarkets' daily price indices on flat rolled (HRC).

Prior to joining AMM, Michael held reporting jobs at the Associated Press (AP) in Pittsburgh and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He also has worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press.

Cowden has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Cowden lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

Please join us in welcoming Michael Cowden to Steel Market Update. He can be reached at Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com.

For more details on Michael and other writers at Steel Market Update, visit this page.

Michael Cowden is well respected within the steel industry, he has a great sense of what active buyers and sellers of steel need to know, a student of the market ever learning, he is an excellent writer, his intellect, work ethic and passion for the industry will add to an already exceptional team at SMU.

John Packard SMU CEO

I am delighted that Michael has joined Steel Market Update in the CRU family. He has a depth of knowledge and experience that the market respects and will use that to further enhance CRU’s North American price and analysis services for all its customers and stakeholders.

Chris Houlden Divisional Managing Director, Head of Analysis