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Outokumpu to Expand Stainless Service Center in France
02/08/2008 - Outokumpu will relocate and expand its stock and processing capability in France in order to improve local service to its French stainless steel customers.
Outokumpu has announced that it will expand its stock and processing capability in France in order to improve service to its French stainless steel customers. The company said the move is also in line with its strategy to increase sales to end-users and project customers.
For the expansion, Outokumpu will relocate its current coil service center from Azay sur Cher some 40 km east to new premises in Noyers sur Cher in Central France. As part of the move, Outokumpu will also install new cutting equipment to enable the processing of stainless steel plate.
“The French stainless steel customers have shown the tendency to deal with close-by service centers rather than directly with mills,” said Gerard Sourjous, General Manager, Outokumpu France. “To answer this call, the expanded service center in Noyers sur Cher will be able to serve customers with timely deliveries of products that are tailored to their individual needs.
Once the expansion is complete, the facility will have a 40,000 tonnes/year combined coil and plate processing capacity for standard and special stainless steel grades.
“The service center’s product portfolio will include both standard and special (e.g. duplex and lean duplex) stainless steel grades of coil and plate, which are polished and cut to required dimensions and shapes,” said Sourjous. “Furthermore, by 2010 at the latest, the French market will be served with Outokumpu’s ferritic grades and bright annealed products from the adjacent new service center in Southern Germany as well as from Italy.”
The company expects to invest a total of about EUR 14 million over two years, with completion targeted by the end of 2009.
