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voestalpine Metal Forming to become the fourth Group division

27 March 2012 | 

The resolution on the new Group structure was unanimously adopted during today’s meeting of the voestalpine AG Supervisory Board. The Automotive Division and Profilform Division will be amalgamated to create the Metal Forming Division.

The new division will be headed by Herbert Eibensteiner who was appointed a member of the Management Board at the last Supervisory Board meeting. voestalpine Metal Forming starts off with more than 10,000 employees worldwide.

With today’s resolution on the structure and organization of the new division, the final preconditions for its successful start on April 1, 2012, the beginning of the voestalpine Group’s 2012/13 business year, have been met. As a result, the Group’s competencies will be concentrated into four similarly sized divisions. Amalgamation of the two divisions generates a series of advantages: There had already been close cooperation in the field of research and development. From the customer standpoint, and especially for customers in the automotive industry and energy sector, there has been an increasing overlap in the past years, leading to very complementary sets of competencies. Wolfgang Eder, Chairman of the Management Board, expects this concentration of strengths to lead to significant impulses for continued growth, as well as new business opportunities and markets. “Right from the start, the new division will be active globally. And with Herbert Eibensteiner we have an experienced manager from within our own ranks at the top.” The signs are promising.

Wolfgang Eder

Thanks to new materials such as phs-ultraform, we have succeeded in manufacturing components which are unmatched globally. And this is only just the beginning of our developments in subsequent processing

Dr. Wolfgang Eder, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of voestalpine AG

Absolutely unique global position

New Management Board member Herbert Eibensteiner outlines the plans in more detail.

Dipl.-Ing. Herbert Eibensteiner, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG

Over the next two years we will be growing new automotive activities in China, the USA and South Africa, thanks to orders from renowned automobile manufacturers. We are currently involved in a wide range of talks and have already succeeding in landing a major long-term contract in January.

Dipl.-Ing. Herbert Eibensteiner, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG

During the 2012/11 business year the new division would have recorded a joint revenue of around EUR 2.2 billion, its EBIT margin would have been 8.4%. The headquarters of the Metal Forming Division is in Krems and the division starts with over 10,000 employees. The management positions have been filled from within our own ranks, all former employees of the two previous divisions continue to be employed by the Group.

voestalpine Metal Forming forces the pace of globalization

The new division is organized into five business segments: Tubes & Sections is a worldwide leading manufacturer of high quality and innovative tubes, profiles and steel precision tube products. Automotive Body Parts is a direct supplier of high quality, innovative body panels to the automotive industry. Cold-rolled stainless steel strips with a high degree of dimensional stability and excellent surface qualities remain grouped together under Precision Strip, and demanding product solutions in the high-bay racking systems and storage rack segment under Material Handling. Flamco produces high-quality components for heating and water installations with a market focused on the Benelux countries.

voestalpine is a step further on the path to becoming a global player

The clear strategic focus on the latest technologies and products of the highest levels of quality, together with a value chain which is longer and more comprehensive than all those of our competitors, will also be consistently maintained over the coming years.

When based in a high-cost economic area such as the EU, this is the long-term guarantee of success and survival, for one cannot perpetually remain globally competitive with mass products and commodities.

Dr. Wolfgang Eder, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of voestalpine AG

Therefore, in the coming years the Group will drive forward expansion of its research and development capacities, and position itself even more clearly as a global technology leader in high quality growth segments, especially mobility and energy.

The voestalpine Group

voestalpine is a globally active group with a number of specialized and flexible companies that produce, process and further develop high-quality steel products. The Group is represented by 360 production and sales companies in more than 60 countries. With its highest quality flat steel products, voestalpine is one of Europe's leading partners to the automotive, white goods, and energy industries. Furthermore, voestalpine is the world market leader in turnout technology, tool steel, and special sections, as well as number one in Europe in the production of rails. In the business year 2010/11, the voestalpine Group generated revenues of around EUR 11 billion, and achieved an operating result (EBIT) of almost EUR 1 billion; the Group has around 47,000 employees worldwide.