A stronger position Hydro Aluminium Profiler

A STRONGER POSITION

Hydro Aluminium Profiler (HAP) is part of Norsk Hydro, one of the world’s largest integrated aluminium companies. Abigail Saltmarsh reports on its activities.

Being part of the Hydro Group, Europe’s largest producer of aluminium extrusions and one of the world’s largest producers of aluminium metal, gives Hydro Aluminium Profiler (HAP) access to extensive resources and a wide network of contacts that benefits its customers. Now Hydro has strengthened its position even further, according to Atle Larsen, sales director of the company.

“Hydro recently strengthened its position as one of the world’s leading aluminium companies by acquiring Brazilian company, Vale’s, aluminium division. This is a leading company producing bauxite and alumina, raw materials for the subsequent aluminium fabrication,” he explained.

“The investment is in the range of US$4.9 billion and makes Hydro one of the world’s leading players in the market. This acquisition strengthens Hydro’s and HAP’s roles as stable and dependent suppliers with a safe and secure access to aluminium raw material.”

A global supplier

Hydro is one of the world’s largest integrated aluminium companies, with activities throughout the value chain, from bauxite extraction to the production of rolled and extruded aluminium products and building systems. It is a global supplier, with 23,000 employees in more than 40 countries.

“As part of Hydro’s Extruded Products division we form a network of extrusion companies that play a major role on the European market and continuously strengthen our positions also on the American and Asian markets,” said Mr Larsen. “HAP produces aluminium extrusions and offers customer support from idea to finished product. It assists the customers with product design and development support, along with addedvalue activities such as fabrication, surface treatment and assembly.”

All major markets

Aluminium extrusions are used in almost all industries and markets, he continued. Major sectors using extrusions include the transport industry, building, mechanical sector, electronics including telecom, furniture, design and interior fittings. “Hydro is a global company with activities in all major markets. HAP’s main markets are Norway, Sweden and Finland,” he said

Today HAP employs approximately 425 people and sees an annual turnover of approximately NOK 1,000 million. It has six production units in three countries, with a combined capacity of about 30,000 tonnes of aluminium extrusions. Its presses (from 1200 tonnes up to 7000 tonnes) have the capacity to produce extrusions with up to 520mm width and with a weight of 30kg per m.

Continuously improving

He continued: “We have extrusion, fabrication, surface treatment and sales in Raufoss – which is our headquarters – and in Magnor and Karmøy, all in Norway. We also have sales and fabrication in Vetlanda and Åseda, in Sweden, and sales and fabrication in Forssa, in Finland.

“We have no immediate plans for any expansion at any of our sites and no change in our activities planned in the foreseeable future. The development will be in the technical aspects of production – alloy development for optimising product properties, improving the capacity and productivity of our presses and production equipment, continuous development for higher, better

and consistent quality, improving our fabrication and machining capabilities etc.”

He added: “We will do everything we can in order to continuously improve our abilities to meet our customers’ demands and to establish HAP as the preferred supplier and partner in the extrusion market.”

A new smelter

As well as acquiring Vale’s aluminium division, Hydro has also recently seen the establishment of the new Qatalum aluminium smelter in Qatar. This is a 50 per cent joint venture with Qatar petroleum.

“Together we built the world’s largest aluminium smelter,” he said. “The plant was opened last year and will in its first phase produce some 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium per year.”

A preferred supplier

Future growth, Mr Larsen stressed, is likely to occur organically as well as through acquisition, though no specific plans will be implemented in the near future. “First we will focus on the economic recovery of our major markets and establishing a positive trend in the aluminium extrusion sales,” he added.

Over the next few years, HAP will develop through a clearly defined focus on continuous improvement for all the various sectors throughout the company. “We will increase our human competence and skills as well as our technical resources and performance,” he said. “By following that road, without compromise, we will establish and strengthen our role as one of the leading extrusion suppliers in Scandinavia and remain the preferred supplier of our customers.” n