trimet.de: News

25 Years of TRIMET ALUMINIUM AG: The Future Has Begun

Fri, 07 May 2010 16:21:00 +0200

Today the company has almost 1,700 employees, and for several years Trimet has been Germany's largest producer of aluminum. The expansive metal trade company is today completed with two individual primary smelting plants, two recycling works, and two die casting foundries. The recirculation system conceived by Schl�ter and his employees, in which not least scrap metal represents an important raw materials source, is considered exemplary in the industry. Schl�ter: "We are technologically and ecologically state-of-the-art. Our system proves daily that aluminum is renewable energy."

On the occasion of the company anniversary, all employees received a special payment of �25 at the end of April for every quarter that they have worked for Trimet. The total sum is just under �1.7 million.

According to Schl�ter, he wanted to thank the employees and their families, who have shown character and endurance over the years and "made their contribution to us being able to maintain and secure jobs."

For the year 2010 and the financial year, which is over at the end of June, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board foresees "a good result" and therefore continuity: "Trimet has made profits in each of its 25 financial years with its low-risk corporate policy, well-known in the industry; increased the number of its employees; invested in the training and further training of its employees; and promoted aluminum innovations. We at TRIMET see ourselves as well-positioned for the next 25 years."

�130 Million Investment in Trimet Sites Harzgerode and S�mmerda

Fri, 07 May 2010 15:23:00 +0200

In May and September of this year, two further die casting machines will be added to this (2,500 and 2,800 metric tons). A joint venture with KS-Atag, owned by the Rheinmetall Group, has also been established at the same location. The joint venture includes the production of engine blocks for KS-Atag on behalf of a renowned automobile plant. Two of the four necessary die casting machines with a closure force of 3,500 metric tons each and the corresponding machining centers are already in operation; the other two will be added in 2011 and 2012.

At the end of 2009, a new production line was also brought into operation for the production of vehicle components for the new BMW 5 Series. With this addition, the Harzgerode site is producing chassis components using permanent mold casting for the first time. This occurs in close cooperation with the Landshut BMW site. Both plants produce one half of the demand each, with Trimet bearing the costs for necessary investment in Landhut and the automobile company making its technical support and outstanding know-how available.

A die casting machine with a closure force of 1,300 metric tons is currently being built in S�mmerda. In addition, Trimet is investing in a melting furnace and a further machining center. Both sites are working at full capacity. In Harzgerode, 511 employees and 41 trainees work in shifts, seven days a week. With 99 employees and 12 trainees, S�mmerda is still working a five-day week.

Plants in Essen and Hamburg Busy

Fri, 07 May 2010 15:20:00 +0200

The high demand for foundry products has also ensured that the production facilities at the plant...

TRIMET Refineries Working at Maximum Capacity

Fri, 07 May 2010 15:19:00 +0200

The rapid recovery of the market and the discontinuation of capacities in the industry carried out last year mean that the now clearly energized demand for cast alloys cannot be fully satisfied. At the same time prices have increased significantly, by up to 30 percent. Both TRIMET ALUMINIUM AG refinery sites in Gelsenkirchen and Harzgerode are producing seven days a week, around the clock, in order to provide for the customers completely.

No change to the situation is expected for now, as the upturn does not seem to be vulnerable � not least thanks to the high export demand.

TRIMET to Purchase Metal for Honsel

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:59:00 +0200

�Entrusting TRIMET with our metal puchases will strengthen our long, successful partnership, which has been beneficial to our customers in the automobile, mechanical engineering, and consumer goods industries,� Peter Harbig, CEO of Honsel AG, says. The ability to ensure a steady supply of light metals at competitive prices is a distinct competitive edge, as is the development of new, higher performing alloys, which would be advanced in cooperation with TRIMET. �In light of the situation on the metal markets, which is becoming increasingly complex due to their high volatility, outsourcing our metal purchasing to TRIMET is a logical step,� Harbig states.

TRIMET, which started as a trading company, has become one of the largest German aluminum producers. The company owns sophisticated financing, hedging, and compensation tools that balance price fluctuations and provides its customers with reliable calculations, thus minimizing the risks for processors such as Honsel or customers such as automakers. In addition, TRIMET, which produces exclusively in Germany, guarantees that its primary and secondary aluminum production is particularly environmentally friendly.

By increasing the delivery volume to Honsel, TRIMET will expand its leading position as an aluminum producer and trader on the market. The TRIMET Executive Board is convinced that, in the end, all of its customers will profit from the company�s stronger market position.

Both companies� strategy is to focus more than ever on their core competencies. As a result, TRIMET will place more emphasis on trading and producing light metals and developing innovative special alloys that are based on aluminum, while Honsel will concentrate on the development and production of light metal components. In addition to the classic processes of casting, extrusion, and rolling, the finishing and machining of products, for example with the help of innovative coating processes, will take on a bigger role in the company�s service portfolio.

Martin S�ffge CFO at TRIMET

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:39:00 +0100

Martin S�ffge comes from the Rewe Group, where he served for over 16 years working in managerial positions. Previously, he served as an auditor and tax consultant for seven years at KPMG Peat Marwick, where he first came into contact with TRIMET.

The 2008/2009 business year: The TRIMET team masters difficult times

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:09:00 +0200

"With our aluminium, we store energy, protect resources in recycling, and spare the environment about 1.7 million tons of CO2 with our products." An independent institute has confirmed the environmental benefit of aluminium beyond the duration of its utilisation after extensive tests in the past weeks.

TRIMET was able to conclude the past business year (1-7/30-6) with a profit despite the economic crisis. As a result of lower metal prices and decreasing production and trade volumes, turnover in the four areas of Metals & Energy, Primary Products, Recycling, and Automotive fell from EUR 1,112.3 million in the previous year to EUR 827.0, while the annual result reached EUR13 million after a special depreciation of EUR 1.2 million. In the previous year, EUR 39.8 million was listed as the result.

The financial situation is being influenced by an equity ratio that has increased by two percentage points to 37.1 and liquid assets that have risen to EUR111.4 million. The net financial debts to banks increased from EUR78 million to EUR85.8 million. The Board of Management and Supervisory Board are certain that the "difficult times" have been overcome, especially thanks to the employees. At some sites, the employees took advantage of the arranged short-time work to take part in voluntary further education measures. The number of employees remained almost constant at 1,548 (1,569 in the previous year), while the number of vocational trainees increased from 73 to 86: if the achieved environmental benefit is compared with the number of employees, each TRIMET employee saves more than 1,000 tons in CO2 emissions a year through his or her work.

TRIMET claims it will emerge even stronger from the economic crisis. A prerequisite, however, is a guaranteed power supply of the energy-intensive smelters in Essen and Hamburg at acceptable prices. In the next three years, compensation payments are being demanded for the CO2 certificate costs included in the electricity tariffs by the power companies and a comprehensive release from these costs by 2013. Without this release, the existence of the TRIMET smelters in Essen and Hamburg with a total of 1,000 workplaces are in great danger; TRIMET has no "Plan B" in this case.

German Government Boosts "Production of Eco-friendly Non-ferrous Metals"

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:58:00 +0200

In its quest to lay open the complex reasons and contexts behind the government decision, TRIMET held a press conference at its own Kurt-Ehrke-Haus in the city of Essen. At the corporation�s request, Rolf Hempelmann, the SPD�s Parliamentary Spokesman on Energy Policy, shed light on the arguments and decision-making processes that led the German parliament to pass the stimulus package. Facing 11 journalists from regional, business and technical media outlets, TRIMET CEO Heinz-Peter Schl�ter and Heribert Hauck, Director of Energy Management at TRIMET, stressed the significance for Germany�s energy-intensive industry of being able to rely on dependable power sources at economically feasible prices over the long run. Although the government�s short-term stimulus was welcomed, there was also a consensus that it was still a far cry from fair utility prices to keep the industry competitive in Europe, maximum energy efficiency in production processes notwithstanding. Commenting on market demands for reliability, Mr. Schl�ter said, �Our customers, especially the automotive industry, are interested in forming strategic, long-term partnerships with us, given the intensified use of aluminum parts in automobiles, which makes perfect sense in ecological terms. When we talk about environmental protection, our goal has to be to cut fuel consumption by cutting vehicle weight, especially when it comes to vehicle fleets. For TRIMET, it all comes down to delivery and pricing conditions we can�t possibly meet if we have no way of long-term planning stability for ourselves. Nota bene: planning stability in the production of aluminum goes hand in hand with planning stability in the feasible supply of this raw material called electricity.�

Production Joint-Venture Established

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0200

In the same vein, a joint venture has been formed under the name KS ATAG TRIMET Guss GmbH for the production of cylinder crankcases made from aluminum alloys. Both partners will hold a 50% share in the joint venture, which has already been approved by Germany�s federal cartel office and will be located in the town of Harzgerode in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

KS ATAG TRIMET Guss will focus on automotive engineering to integrate the expertise of both partners in the fields of metal finishing, casting technology, raw-material and energy management, thereby capitalizing on the synergy potential from all of these fields. Both partners will retain their current production sites and market presence under their original product names. The joint venture will employ about 50 people.

TRIMET: Saving Energy Energetically - T�V certifies energy efficiency of the aluminum smelters in Essen and Hamburg

Wed, 20 May 2009 10:21:00 +0200

The efficiency standards of the Bundesamt f�r Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (Federal Office of Economics and Export Control) for manufacturing companies are fully met. This has been confirmed to the company by the certifying body of T�V Nord Cert GmbH. The certification will be necessary in the future to assure energy-intensive companies can retain the hardship provision and therefore be released from additional costs of millions which are determined by the political climate. This contributes to the safeguarding of Germany as an industrial base and ensures thousands of jobs.

Background information: Since 2000, all consumers have paid a contribution to the operator in their electricity rate in accordance with the renewable energy law. They pass on the revenue with subsidization to the operators of wind and solar energy plants. As energy-intensive companies such as smelting works cannot bear the additional costs arising from the renewable energy law, they were, in part, released from this surcharge with a hardship provision. As of 2009, the companies must demonstrate an efficient energy management system so that the hardship provision can be effective for them in the future.