British Steel opens nine international sales offices

British Steel has opened nine international sales offices, as its revival continues under new owners.
British Steel is opening international offices to help it grow   Photo: Steve MorganBritish Steel is opening international offices to help it grow   Photo: Steve Morgan
British Steel is opening international offices to help it grow Photo: Steve Morgan

The company, which returned to profit last year, said the decision to open the new offices was a further sign that the re-branding has been well-received around the world.

British Steel, which was created when Greybull Capital bought Tata Steel’s Long Products Europe business last year, employs around 3,000 people in Scunthorpe. New offices have been established in the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore and Taiwan.

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Peter Bernscher, British Steel’s chief executive, said: “Our new positioning allows us to ensure local service for global markets, engaging all customers and consistently delivering value.

“Due to the efforts of our team and the ongoing support of customers and stakeholders, all our offices have now successfully transitioned to the revitalised brand with a long standing history and a prosperous future.”

A British Steel spokesman said the US is one of the company’s biggest markets and “all customers have been very supportive of the new brand”.

Pete Joyce, the president of the company’s Americas operation, said: “British Steel is a well-known name in this part of the world and is synonymous with quality, service and innovation.

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“Alongside our American office, we also have sales agents operating in Brazil and Mexico, ensuring that we expand our reach to offer personal service.”

Tomasz Kaczmarek, the regional account manager for the Polish office, which is based in Katowice, said: “Establishing the office has proved that British Steel is committed to customers in Central and Eastern Europe. “The region is an important market for the company.

“I’m looking forward to our participation in the Trako fair in Gdańsk this September, which will be the first exhibition by the new British Steel in our region.

“It’s a good opportunity to show our great capabilities in a range of rail products and will help us raise brand awareness in the local area.”

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Mr Bernscher added: “As a flexible and responsive provider of sustainable steel solutions, we continue to put our customers at the heart of what we do.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all those involved in the implementation and the rebranding of the offices – we look forward to exploring new markets and the challenges ahead.”

British Steel reported a £126m turnaround in its first year as an independent business, which it described as providing a solid foundation for further growth. The company made £47m profit (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation) in the 12 months ending March 31, 2017; its best performance for a decade.

The new owners said they would deliver £40m of capital investment in the 2017-18 financial year and employees were also given a 5 per cent stake in the business. The company’s growth was praised by Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited the Scunthorpe operation during the General Election campaign.

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BRITISH Steel’s German office in Dusseldorf has been established to cope with the high demand for wire rod products.

Christoph Bross, British Steel’s managing director for Germany, said: “The new British Steel look really reflects how we wish to present ourselves to the market as a trustworthy, global brand. We are well established and well positioned in the markets we are delivering to.”

“We recently attended IAF 2017 in Munster, Germany, alongside many colleagues from the rail team. This was a brilliant opportunity for us to underline how we can help rail customers around the world enhance their railway performance.”

At the time of its annual results, British Steel said its focus for the coming year would be on increasing steel-making capability and improving the quality of products.

It supplied all the rail for the huge Crossrail project in London.