Knowles Electronics visits with Asian Metal in San Francisco

On Wednesday, May 9, 2012, Effie Niu, Global Metals Commodity Manager of Knowles Electronics, visited with Melvin Hill, Manager of Asian Metal London Office, and Brandon Tirpak, Analyst of Asian Metal Pittsburgh Office. The three enjoyed dinner in San Francisco at the beginning of the annual International Rare Earth Summit. Melvin and Brandon were able to learn more about current business initiatives of Knowles, as well as offer an open dialogue in regard to the changing global metals market while enjoying a nice meal.

Effie has visited the Asian Metal Beijing Office in recent years, and continues to work in close relationship with the US Office in order to confront volatility in the global rare earth market. Several large magnet consumers remain concerned about the changing market dynamics, and are interested in emerging trends regarding rare earth raw materials. Given their compact design and high strength, neodymium ferro-boron magnets have permitted the miniaturization of many common-day devices, including computers, mobile phones and speakers. Despite elevated prices over the last 18 months, growth is expected to continue in the short and long-term.