ArcelorMittal Germany to close warehouse in Olpe
ArcelorMittal Stahlhandel Deutschland, the German distribution unit of ArcelorMittal group, says it intends to close its warehouse in Olpe, in the Siegerland region of North Rhine Westphalia, due to weak market conditions.
The closure is to be completed by the middle of next year and the 63 employees at the site were informed in a meeting last Tuesday, the company tells Kallanish. The decision has been made on the basis of weak market conditions in southern Westphalia, where customer demand is subject to a structural decline, ArcelorMittal explains. Since 2017, the market in the region has shrunk by 30%, it says.
ArcelorMittal’s announcement is another big blow to the Siegerland/southern Westphalia region within a short time. In November, thyssenkrupp announced the planned closure of its coating site in Kreuztal, with several hundred employees affected.
Olpe and Kreuztal are both located northwest of Siegen. The region used to be a centre of steelmaking and processing due to its iron ore reserves in previous centuries. It is still home to many companies in the sector, including the mills of Deutsche Edelstahlwerke and BGH. Its inland location, with access mostly by trucks and motorways, has become a clear disadvantage after closures of outdated bridges in recent years.
Christian Koehl Germany
