Nucor Usa

Nucor is the United States' largest steel company. The road to the top of the industry has been marked by many achievements. Nucor's success is a combination of great management, successful implementation of existing technology, and booming demand. This case will first discuss the external environment facing the firm today. The middle section of the case study will explore how the company has reacted to the external environment in a company analysis. The case will conclude with an SWOT evaluation of the firm in the context of its core competencies.

Appendix A

External Environment

Section 1

PEST Analysis

Political Economic Factors

2008 will be a year of change in the political realm, election years always are. However, this year will be one of the larger changes in recent memory. Business politics are one of the main issues being discussed in the 2008 presidential election. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have promised to make economics the focus of their presidential concerns.

Hillary Clinton has ambiguous views on business politics. In a speech on April 11, 2006 at the Economic Club of Chicago, she told the crowd of wealthy businessmen, "What is good for business is good for America" (Van Auken: 2006). Clinton also identified the rise of China as a threat to American business interests. Clinton is campaigning this year on a platform that includes reversing pro-big business policies, but she has also amassed more corporate campaign dollars than either of her competitors (Javers: 2008). Her ambiguity towards business is typical of an election year, but the reality suggests that she is more pro-business than Barack Obama.

Barack Obama, the current leader in the presidential democratic nomination, has firmly committed to empower the American middle class. His Populist message has called for the strengthening of unions and combating the special interests of big business. However, in a turn of events Obama was recently spotted discussing the economy with business tycoons such as Warren Buffet (Javers: 2008). Analysts have labeled Obama a center-left business politician.

The republican candidate John McCain is a self-labeled free-enterprise capitalist. If elected, McCain has vowed to revamp the economy by supporting corporate tax cuts. Big business leaders are wary of McCain's support for environmental regulation. McCain has been active on global warming, supporting a carbon trading system opposed by some in the oil and gas industry (Javers: 2008).