The idea: The young questioners proposed a shift from the giant, ever-expanding “integrated” plant to a “mini-mill.” The end uses are the same as the integrated mill, only the costs are substantially lower. A mini-mill can be built for one-tenth the cost of an integrated plant, uses heat only once and does not quench it, starts with steel scrap instead of ore, and ends up with one final product (for example, beams, rods, etc.). The mini-mills offer modern technology, low labor costs, and target markets. An executive stated that if these young men had not asked the right questions, we would
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