Long-term steel shipments match up with a marked slowdown in the construction of US Apple Stores, a report observes. Apple has for some time relied on a Japanese company, Kikukawa Kogyo Co., to supply the steel siding essential to the look of its retail outlets. Documents reveal that Kikukawa shipments peaked in early- to mid-2008, when Apple was preparing to build 21 American stores by the end of the year.
