Weak market sees BE Group close Czech and Slovak operations
Sweden-based steel distributor BE Group has announced plans to close its loss-making operations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The move is designed to improve profitability and allow it to focus more intensively on its main markets in Sweden, Finland and the Baltics.
The company said the market in the Czech Republic and Slovakia has seen negative developments for a number of years, and BE’s companies there have continued to make losses “despite several measures taken to reach profitability.” Their turnover reached SEK 382 million (€41.3 million) in 2015 and operating losses were SEK 32 million.
“Against this background and the prevailing weak market outlook,” BE Group said it has decided to “close down the business in Slovakia and stop selling flat carbon steel and aluminum on the Czech market”. The profitable round bar business in Prerov, Czech Republic, is not affected by the closure decision. The one-time cost of the closures was put at SEK 45 million.
As a consequence of the closures, BE has announced organizational and management changes with effect from the second quarter of 2016. Its Swedish business unit will take over BE Poland and some other operations, and will be headed by group president and CEO Anders Martinsson.
Its “other units” business area will disappear with the Czech and Slovak closures. Its Finland unit will continue to include group operations in the Baltic countries and Lasse Levola will remain in charge.
The group’s top management team will be reduced from five to three, plus a new director who is currently being recruited “to strengthen the group’s strategic sourcing,” it said.
Henry Cooke, PLATTS
Revista Infoacero Marzo 2016
Pueden acceder a nuestra Revista Infoacero correspondiente al mes de Marzo.
Les indicamos algunos de los contenidos de la misma:
- Opinión – “El Efecto Mariposa” – D. Fernando Moraga– Miembro de la Junta Directiva de la UAHE.
- Evolución del índice de Precios Medios de Productos Siderúrgicos.
- Información Asociativa: Asamblea General Unió de Magaztemistes de Ferros de Catalunya i Balears (Barcelona, 10 de Marzo)
– Reunión de la Unión de Almacenistas de Hierros de Aragón y Soria (Alcañiz, Teruel 17 de Marzo)
- Artículo ANIFER (Asociación Nacional de Industriales de Ferralla)- D. David Fernández – Secretario General
- Próximos Eventos: Eurometal Regional Meeting (Praga 19 de Abril) – European Steel Day (Bruselas 21 de Abril)
- Colaboración ASCEM: “El Acero en el nuevo entorno colaborativo BIM”- D. Josep Maria Bases– Export Manager en AGLIA EXPORT.
EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Nordics Stockholm 26 April 2016
Dear members, subscribers and colleagues,
The program of EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Nordics, Stockholm, Nordic Light Hotel,26 April 2016, is now finalized.
In the attachment you may find your invitation to assist to the meeting, including your registration form, to be returned to office@eurometal.net before 21. April 2016.
Attached you will also find the flyer regarding the meeting with useful information about the conference program and the conference location.
Hoping to meet you in Stockholm on 26.APRIL 2016.
Best regards
Georges Kirps
Director General EUROMETAL
EUROMETAL REGIONAL MEETING NORDICS STOCKHOLM 2016 APRIL 26 – INVITATION AND REGISTRATION FORM
EUROMETAL REGIONAL MEETING NORDICS STOCKHOLM 2016 APRIL 26 – FLYER AND PROGRAM
ArcelorMittal CLN Distribuzione Italia Acquires Ciocca Lamiere
The acquisition of the service center of Arcore is announced today
Caselette, March 31st 2016 – ArcelorMittal CLN Distribuzione Italia srl (ArcelorMittal CLN), one year after its establishment, has announced today the acquisition of 100% of the Ciocca Lamiere S.r.l. company with headquarters in Via Buonarroti 80/88, 20043 Arcore (MB), Italy.
Ciocca Lamiere is a service center for the pre-processing of coils, which began its business in 1960, located in the industrial area of Arcore (Italy), on an area of about 20,000 sqm. The plant is logistically positioned in one of the industrial areas where consumption is highest, with the advantage of being close to major highways and railway junctions as well.
The company processes steels with low carbon content, both hot rolled pickled, and cold-rolled and coated (galvanized, electrogalvanized, aluminized, prepainted), turning them into sheets, tapes, strips and squares.
Through this transaction, ArcelorMittal CLN has acquired the Ciocca Lamiere business branch, production assets and the marketing placement, with exception to the grounds, which will remain of the Ciocca Family.
Ciocca Lamiere’s current turnover is approximately 50,000 tons/year, stretching across the general industry sector. With the entry of ArcelorMittal CLN in its network and thanks to the proximity to the production site in Monza, such acquisition will enable to develop further and important synergies and offer an ever-higher service to its customers.
According to Michele Ciocca, shareholder and CEO of Ciocca Lamiere, “to become part of such an important organization, makes it possible to give continuity, on the one hand, at the historical presence of the family company on the market, and to be able to count on greater resources for the company’s subsequent potential development.”
“Along with such drive, our leadership strengthens on the domestic distribution market” – said Rinaldo Baldi, new CEO of ArcelorMittal CLN -, “in view of the current process of consolidation to win and assure ourselves a better presence on the market.”
EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Central Europe, Prague 19 April 2016
Dear Steel Stakeholders,
EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Central Europe is coming closer.
Do not miss a unique opportunity to meet and discuss with colleagues, speakers and panelists about the challenges ahead of Central and Eastern European Steel Markets.
For this important conference, EUROMETAL was able to gather an expert and competent set of speakers and panelists representing all echelons of the steel supply chain.
EUROMETAL is convinced that this conference will bring a lot of added value to all participants.
Below you may find your invitation letter, including your registration form, as well as the flyer with the program of the event.
EUROMETAL REGIONAL MEETING CENTRAL EUROPE PRAGUE 19 APRIL 2016 – INVITATION LETTER
EUROMETAL REGIONAL MEETING CENTRAL EUROPE PRAGUE 19 APRIL 2016 – CONFERENCE FLYER AND PROGRAM
Hoping to meet you in Prague on 19.April 2016.
Georges Kirps
Director General EUROMETAL
BDS and EUROMETAL at CRU World Steel Conference
BDS and EUROMETAL participated at CRU World Steel Conference in Düsseldorf, last 18. March 2016.
This conference is attended mainly by upstream steel industry stakeholders.
Thus, the conference represented a unique opportunity to outline the systemic role of steel distribution as an intelligent matchmaker between upstream steel producing sector and downstream steel end use segments.
In their respective presentations, Oliver Ellermann, Managing Director of BDS, and Georges Kirps, Director General EUROMETAL passed the following key messages to the participants at CRU World Steel Conference:
- EU Steel Distribution accounts for 5 000 companies, mostly SMEs.
- Giving jobs to a workforce of 110 000 people
- Delivering 77 million tons of steel
- To a EU customer base of 1 million steel end users.
Due to the diversity of their customer base, steel distribution has developed a great variety of business models.
Long steel products, tubular products and stainless steels are predominantly procured by steel end use segments from EU steel distribution.
Only in the channels to the market of plates and strip mill products, direct procurement from the mills plays a significant role, besides steel distribution flat SSC and processing centers
As opposed to US steel distribution, EU steel distribution is characterized by a significant share of mill tied steel distribution companies.
Over-capacities will further prevail in steel distribution, calling for consolidation, acquisitions and mergers in order to streamline and optimize steel distribution’s offer to their customer base.
Linking with mills or mill-tied SSC has shown in the past years to be a rather frequently used avenue for consolidation in EU SSC distribution.
But also Chinese and Russian steel producers made efforts over past years to gain footprints in EU steel distribution and trading.
Einladung zum World Café: Digitale (Alp-)Träume, 14. April 2016 in Aarau
Die Digitalisierung ist für die einen Handelsunternehmen ein Traum, für die anderen wird die Entwicklung zum Alptraum. In welche Richtung träumen oder handeln Sie? Das World Café bietet Orientierungshilfen.
Sie erfahren, was den Online-Handel international antreibt und welche Risiken sich für den Schweizer Handel ergeben. Sie finden heraus, was Schweizer KonsumentInnen online im Ausland kaufen. Von Darknet über Hacking bis zu digitalen Handelslösungen – Sie machen sich schlau punkto Datensicherheit. Sie diskutieren, wohin die Digitalisierung den Handel treibt. Tauschen Sie sich mit Handelsunternehmern, Politikern, Medien und Konsumenten aus.
Lassen Sie sich inspirieren und nehmen Sie brandaktuelles Wissen mit nach Hause. Es hilft Ihnen, ihre digitalen Wunschträume sofort rascher richtig umzusetzen!
EUROMETAL at Steel Plate Conference Europe by Metal Expert
EUROMETAL participated last March 11 in the 2nd Steel Plate Conference Europe, convened in Düsseldorf by Metal Expert.
One of the speakers of the conference was Georges Kirps, Director General EUROMETAL, with a presentation on the Systemic Role of Steel Distribution in EU Plate Supply.
World plate market is estimated to about 130 million tons.
Theoretical world plate capacity is about 210 million tons, meaning a capacity utilization rate of about 60%.
World plate market is estimated to increase to 185 million tons in 2024.
EU plate market accessible to steel distribution is presently 9.6 million tons.
European plate market is estimated to grow between 2014 and 2024 by a CAGR of +1,7 %.
Long term growth forecasts of European plate using sectors:
– Construction: + 0,5 %
– Line Pipe: 0,0 %
– Shipyards + 1,1 %
– Wind Energy Onshore: + 5,0 %
– Wind Energy Offshore: + 8,0 %
– Mechanical Engineering: + 3,0 %
– Oil & Gas Short term: ?
– Oil & Gas Long term: positive
In Europe, capacity utilization is running at 53%.
In 2015 and for the first time since long, Europe has become a net importer of plates.
Here are the two key charts of the EUROMETAL presentation:
Invitation to the EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Central Europe 2016 in Prague
After a great success last year in Vienna, EUROMETAL will convene again a EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Central Europe, this time in Prague, on coming 19 April 2016.
In last 20 years Central European steel markets have developed their own specific business models based on dynamic growth patterns.
Will these positive trends continue in coming years or are there now signs of structural changes leading to a rethinking of future Central and Eastern European steel business models.
EUROMETAL Regional Meeting Central Europe is intended to address these and other crucial questions and challenges.
In the attachment you may find your invitation to register to this important steel business meeting, in Prague on 19.April, having focus on Central Europe
Please note that EUROMETAL invites all participants to a welcome buffet at the meeting hotel HILTON Old Town in the evening of 18 April, from 19.30 Hrs on.
Hoping to greet and meet you in Prague on coming 18.- 19. April 2016.
Best regards,
Georges Kirps – Director General EUROMETAL
EUROMETAL REGIONAL MEETING CENTRAL EUROPE PRAGUE 19 APRIL 2016 – INVITATION LETTER
EUROMETAL REGIONAL MEETING CENTRAL EUROPE PRAGUE 19 APRIL 2016 – CONFERENCE FLYER & PROGRAM
EUROMETAL – European Steel Distribution to enhance health and safety skills
In steel distribution dominated by cost cutting and scarce resources, allocation of resources to improve Health & Safety is too often still considered as non-essential expenses by some steel distribution companies
On the other side in case of a fatality, the civil responsibility of the management is evident.
Insurance claims related to accidents or fatalities often prove to become very expensive, outnumbering by far the cost of a comprehensive and efficient action plan to prevent accidents
Too often, smaller companies are reluctant to comply with Health & Safety essentials.
A specific concern for EUROMETAL and national federations are behavioural safety and Near Miss Reporting in steel distribution. EUROMETAL and national steel federations will use best efforts to enhance behavioural safety inside European steel distribution.
Main actions will include a permanent update on Health & Safety issues on the websites of EUROMETAL and of national federations, seminars regarding Health & Safety, also specifically designed for SME’s, presentations at EUROMETAL’s major events regarding latest developments in Health and Safety issues.
Commenting Health and Safety issues in steel distribution and SSC, Peter Corfield, Director General of UK Association NASS, outlined:
“…safety within the Steel supply chain has evolved within the last decade paving way for not only a considered approach to Safety but now also contemplation of Health and general wellbeing of the workforce. Near Miss reporting and Behavioural Safety is evidence of maturing safety models within the industry with aspirations for continuous improvement, looking at both the impact of cognitive interaction and the likely consequences for disregarding early warning signs.
New challenges face Metals Industries going forward with economic climates dictating long working hours, pressure on production times and elevated levels of stress amongst the workforce.
With increasing burden on employees to meet deadlines, the probability to “cut corners” during safety procedures has increased. Accident statistics benchmarked by Metals Forum Members in the UK have highlighted concern for protecting employees from hazardous machinery and dangerous equipment which have attributed to a rise in injuries since 2009, in turn increasing claims against the Employer.
In light of recent changes to UK legislation regarding sentencing which has now extended liability for Business owners and Senior Managers as well as increased penalties for breaches of Health and Safety, there is now even more onus on Management to protect their employees from foreseeable harm. This, in line with expected changes to be brought about by ISO 45001 in October 2016 whereby management must demonstrate a clear commitment to driving improvements in Health and Safety performance will further increase onus on leadership of Health and Safety throughout the organization.
In order for business leaders to demonstrate this commitment, plans must be in place to integrate not only with the internal workforce but with external bodies including the supply chain, key stakeholders, safety enforcement bodies and peer groups”.
Contact: Georges Kirps, Director General
Email: kirps@eurometal.net