Focus on coil processing
W
ith over €7 billion in external
sales, an output of over seven
million tonnes of crude steel and
a workforce of 17,000 employees, Salzgitter
AG is one of Europe’s leading steel and tech-
nology concerns. It is also the second largest
Hot on coil
steel producer in Germany.
For high quality flat rolled steel and sec-
tions, Salzgitter AG is among the top five
What does it take to be a
in Europe, and is the world market leader
in large-diameter pipes. Comprising over
successful steel service centre
eighty national and international subsidiar-
in today’s competitive global
ies and associated companies, the Group is
structured into four divisions - Steel, Tubes,
marketplace? ISMR visits
Trading and Services - under the umbrella of
Hövelmann & Lueg GmbH, part of
a management holding company. These divi-
sions are composed of independent operat- Salzgitter’s Trading division since
ing companies, which enjoy a high degree
of decentralized decision-making scope and
1997 but also an independent
develop market-, location- and product-
operating company and steel
related business activities under their own
responsibility.
service centre, to find out . . .
ISMR took a trip to Germany to visit
Hövelmann & Lueg GmbH, part of Salzgitter’s
Trading division since 1997 but also an inde-
pendent operating company and steel service
centre with a turnover of 213 million euros. In
July 2006, it bought Flachform Stahl GmbH in
Schwerte, a neighbouring steel service centre,
from Arcelor.
Flachform, which processed around 240,000
tonnes of steel annually with two slitting lines
and 85 employees in Schwerte, already had a
close working relationship with Hövelmann
& Lueg (H and L) and the acquisition added
extra capacity, extra capability and product
range (as well as market share) to H and L’s
stable.
Making a difference
Above:
Decoiling
So, what does it take to be a successful steel
line at
service centre in today’s competitive global Hövelmann
marketplace? Ulrich Becker and Wolf Rudiger
& Lueg.
Otte, H and L’s joint managing directors, filled
Left: Stock of
in the blanks for ISMR.
blanks and
“We are situated between the western part coils in the
of Europe and southern Germany so we are
warehouse
well positioned to offer additional supply pos-
sibilities to our end users,” Becker told ISMR.
30 March/April 2007 International Sheet Metal Review
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