Delivering steel diversity Feralpi

deliveriNg steel diversity

Feralpi is a leading European manufacturer of steel for the construction industry. The company operates an international and diversified industrial group that produces more than two million tonnes of steel and over 3 million tonnes of rolled products a year. The Feralpi Group continues to focus on the manufacture of high quality steel products whilst setting new standards in sustainability and the development of new and environmentally friendly solutions. Philip Yorke reports.

The Feralpi Group was founded in Lonato del Garda in Italy in 1968, located close to the northern town of Brescia. Today it employs around 1500 people and in 2016 recorded sales of more than one billion euros. Over a period of 50 years the company has seen consistent growth and expanded into many foreign markets to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive global iron and steel industry.

The group has grown through a strategy of diversification and the acquisition of numerous specialised, complimentary businesses. In addition to its production of rolled bars it is also involved in special steels, cold working, structural steelwork, the environment and fish farming. Furthermore it offers a wide range of financial and share management consultancy services.

From the outset, Feralpi has focused not only on producing the world’s best steel for the construction industry, but has striven to do so in the most sustainable way possible. This has been achieved by reducing energy consumption and harmful emissions, as well as by employing the latest ‘green’ technology, which is based upon its own in-house research and development.

Focus on core business

The Feralpi Group remains focused on its production of construction steel for an international market that stretches from Europe to North Africa. The company’s steel production sites are not only located in Italy, but also in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and France. Feralpi’s core business involves the production of rebar products in the form of bars and coils, as well as wire rod. Its traditional product range includes the manufacture of wire rod products, drawn products, electro-welded mesh, pylons, spacers and profiles.

Following the acquisition of Caleotto SpA and Arlenco SpA in 2015, the group’s product portfolio expanded to include wire rod made of special steels for use in drawing mills. In addition, its associate company, Co Ge. Me. Steel produces rolled steel products for enclosures, parapets, handrails, and architectural features for furnishing buildings in general.

French Connection

The Feralpi Group’s Turni based company, Presider, has significantly increased its presence in France with the construction of a new stateof-the-art plant in Paris. This will greatly strengthen its export capabilities, especially to Europe, France and eastern Europe. The new factory covers a total surface area of more than 37,000 square metres, of which over 8000 square metres are covered. This is where the latest production facilities are installed to manufacture high tensile steel products on site for major French infrastructure projects.

Thanks to its new facilities and headquarters in Paris, the company is able to better serve some of the most important current French infrastructure programmes, such as the Grand Paris express, the new network project that consists of four regional subway lines that loop around Paris with a total length of over 200 kilometres. Presider’s CEO Pietro Pirlo said, “The investment made in Paris is a testament to the strength that is the DNA of the company. The development of Presider has always been based not only on service, but also on its close vicinity to the customer.

“After gaining a foothold in the market, we generally choose to establish ourselves in the area with our own production facilities. We did this in Pomezia, in Rome for central and southern Italy and in Maclodio in Northern Italy. We are now going to complete

our corporate structure by giving concrete form to our process of business internationalisation. Our partnership with other Feralpi Group companies strengthens our downstream production, thereby guaranteeing the final customer a comprehensive range of high quality finished products.”

more than steel

These days the Feralpi Group is much more than a high quality steel producer for the construction industry. With its subsidiary Nuova Defim Orsogril, the group can also offer the national and international markets mesh, gratings, and fencing, as well as the production and installation of pre-shaped round bars and structural steelwork through its group companies: Presider and Metalurgica Piemontese La Vorazioni.

As a result of a major investment programme by the Algerian government in its infrastructure, the Feralpi Group established ‘Feralpi Algerie’, which is now headquartered in Orano, Algeria. From here the company directs its operations in Algeria in order to meet the growing demands of the government for major improvements in its infrastructure and communications networks.

Putting safety first

Safety and Corporate Responsibility are cornerstones of Feralpi’s growth and development strategy. In fact its first safety and sustainability report was initiated in 2004. Safety and innovation together drive the company, which not only measures its own performance, but also takes into consideration the positive impact its work has on the environment and its local communities. Concerning safety and environmental issues, the group’s compliance with best possible performance ratings is certified annually by independent institutions such as TUV, the German quality certification body, and ARPA, the Italian Protection Agency.

The group’s on-going commitment to protecting the environment was recognised recently with its accreditation to the ICMQ – Eco Gold Certification, and the Recycled Content Certification (97 per cent), which indicates the amount of steel re-used in the melting process at the end of its lifetime. n

For further details of the Feralpi Group’s diverse range of products and services visit: www.feralpigroup.com

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