[0:04]
[Music]

[0:10]
[Music]

[0:21]
Nick: All right, Thanksgiving is this week!

Brett: Yeah, I was lying to you last week—I had you tripping out, thinking we had an extra week this month. I was just trying to squeeze another week out of November, hoping for better ferrous prices before December hits.

Nick: That would’ve been nice, but December’s markets aren’t looking great.

Brett: No, it feels like December will be soft or maybe even down. A lot of people I’ve talked to think the same. December’s a tough month to get much done—two weeks in the middle or end of it are basically non-starters. We’ll focus on production, get ready for January, and hope for better days.

Nick: Copper’s still weak, right?

Brett: Yeah. What was our bet again?

Nick: You said it’d be more than $4.30.

Brett: Come on, man—it’s at $4.09 this morning. I need 20 more cents to win!

Nick: PGMs are getting crushed again, too.

Brett: Yep. Nickel’s been hammered, but it’s on its way back up—it’s at $7.23 now. Aluminum is holding strong at around $1.18.

Nick: At least the metals that really drive our business are hanging in there.

Brett: True. December is typically a muted month for ferris prices, though. Everyone’s trying to get their inventories down and clean up their books before year-end. It’s been a rough year overall, so everyone’s doing whatever they can on the accounting side.

Nick: So, with two solid work weeks left, December’s practically over before it even starts.

Brett: Exactly. Before we know it, it’ll be January 2025. I’m anticipating a little recovery in the first quarter on the ferrous side. Copper feels like it should get back to the $4.50-$4.70 range, but who knows. We live in the moment—that’s all we can control.

Nick: True, but it’s always good to make small speculations. It helps us plan and lets us give customers a heads-up so they can try to plan, too.

Brett: Yeah, but at the end of the day, it’s all just a coin flip.

[3:21]
Nick: With Thanksgiving around the corner, what are you thankful for, Brett?

Brett: I’m thankful for my family—my wife especially. She’s the reason I have two great kids. Without her, they’d probably be little [ __ ]. She keeps them in line, and she keeps me in line too. I’m also thankful for my friends and coworkers, like you. I work with my best friends every day, so it doesn’t even feel like work most of the time.

Nick: That’s awesome.

Brett: I’ve been in “locker rooms” my whole life—high school football, college football, and now at work. It’s like being in a locker room with my buddies. We talk [ __ ], get in each other’s faces, love each other, and win or lose together. I’m grateful that I get to do real work with real people, build things, and provide jobs.

Nick: For me, it’s similar. I’m obviously thankful for my wife and family—they’re everything. But I’m also thankful for the opportunity to do what I love every day. Even the tough days make me appreciate the good ones even more.

[5:36]
Nick: I’m also grateful for the journey—watching my wife change careers, seeing my daughters grow up, and helping our company evolve. We’re always trying to push ourselves, and it’s fun, even with the growing pains.

Brett: That’s what makes it all worthwhile. We all want financial success, but it’s about enjoying the process and the journey. In America, we’ve got it pretty good. We complain about things that other people in the world would kill for.

Nick: Absolutely. When you think about it, there are people born into situations where they have little to no chance of getting out. Compare that to what we have here—it’s humbling.

Brett: Exactly. It’s fine to compare yourself to others, but do it wisely. Don’t compare yourself to Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos—compare yourself to people born into circumstances far worse than yours. It helps you appreciate what you have.

Nick: And it’s true—we get caught up in our own country’s problems, but we don’t realize how lucky we are to live here. If you’re struggling to be thankful for something, be thankful for that.

[9:18]
Brett: Well said. Thank you, everyone. Have a great Thanksgiving—this is my favorite week of the year!

Nick: Absolutely. Football, cold cocktails, good food—life is pretty good.

Brett: Can’t wait. Take care, everyone.

[9:33]
[Music]