voestalpine extends market leadership in the special steel segment with acquisitions in China and Spain

2016-04-07 |

With the purchase of Advanced Tooling Tek (ATT) in Shanghai, China, and the Sermetal Group in Barcelona, Spain, voestalpine is enhancing its global leadership position as a producer of special steels. Both companies are specialized in the processing and sale of special steel products for tool and mold-making, a segment whose main customers are the automotive and electronics industries. Together ATT and the Sermetal Group have around 160 employees and generated a total revenue of around EUR 43 million in 2015.

Just half a year ago the voestalpine AG’s Metal Forming Division opened a new plant for production of high-strength automotive components in Shenyang, China. Now the Special Steel Division is taking over its long-term Shanghai-based sales partner ATT, marking the next stage in the Group’s expansion in the Chinese market. ATT has a staff of around 100 employees and generated revenue of around EUR 16 million in 2015. One of the most important product segments served by this special steel sales and processing specialist is large injection molds which are used in the automotive industry for the manufacture of plastic parts such as headlights. The products are also sold to the electronics industry. The second acquisition made by the Special Steel Division was in Europe, with the purchase of the four sales and service sites belonging to the Sermetal Group in Spain and Portugal. Sermetal is the market leader on the Iberian Peninsula in plastic mold steel for the automotive industry, and generated with its 60 employees revenue of around EUR 27 million in 2015.

The ATT and Sermetal acquisitions are in line with our strategy of focusing growth in the expanding mobility sector and consistently extending the value chain towards the end customer. The new sales and service centers bring voestalpine even closer to its customers, and enable the Group to offer high-tech finishing as well as complete products in special steel. At the same time, the acquisitions further enhance our global market leadership in tool steel for sophisticated applications.

Franz Rotter, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the Special Steel Division

Special Steel Division

The voestalpine AG’s Special Steel Division is focused on technologically sophisticated materials and customer-specific services. Due to its unique sales and service network at 150 sites around the world it offers customers material availability and processing as well as local points of contact. The division is a global market leader for tool steel and one of the leading providers of high-speed steel, valve steel, and special forgings. The most important customer segments are the automotive, oil and natural gas exploration, and mechanical engineering industries as well as the consumer goods and aerospace industries. In the business year 2014/15, the division reported revenue of around EUR 2.8 billion, of which 40% was generated outside Europe, and an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 407 million; it had around 13,500 employees worldwide.

The voestalpine Group

The voestalpine Group is a steel-based technology and capital goods group that operates worldwide. With around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries and on all five continents, the Group has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its top-quality products, the Group is one of the leading partners to the automotive and consumer goods industries in Europe and to the oil and gas industries worldwide. The voestalpine Group is also the world market leader in turnout technology, special rails, tool steel, and special sections. In the business year 2014/15, the voestalpine Group reported revenue of EUR 11.2 billion and an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 1.5 billion; it had around 47,500 employees worldwide.