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W i R T s c H A F T
sapa Profiles will Marktführerschaft weiter ausbauen
Fotos: Sapa
Die schwedische Sapa-Gruppe
zieht eine positive Bilanz ihres im
Sommer vergangenen Jahres gestarteten
Joint Ventures Sapa Profiles.
„Auf den wichtigsten Märkten
in Europa und Amerika haben
wir ein stabiles und nachhaltiges
Wachstum erzielt. Unsere hohen
Erwartungen wurden erfüllt“, resümierte
Arne Rengstedt, verantwortlich
für die Profilaktivitäten
in Zentral- und Osteuropa, kürzlich
vor Journalisten. Dies spiegelt
sich in einem Jahresumsatz von
rund 3,3 Mrd. US-Dollar und eine
Jahresproduktion von 850.000
Tonnen Aluminiumprofile wider.
Damit ist Sapa Profiles der weltweit
größte Strangpresskonzern.
Auf dem europäischen Strangpressmarkt
ist Sapa Profiles mit 18 Prozent
Marktanteil Marktführer, die Anteile
auf den regionalen europäischen
Märkten variieren zwischen circa 40
Prozent in Schweden und 14 Prozent
Arne Rengstedt, Leiter Profilaktivitäten der
Sapa-Gruppe für Zentral- und Osteuropa
Arne Rengstedt, President Business Area
Profiles Central Europe, Sapa Group
in Deutschland. In Nordamerika liegt
der Marktanteil bei etwa 21 Prozent.
Sapa betreibt in Europa insgesamt
über 50 Strangpressen mit Presskräften
zwischen 1.000 und 6.500
Tonnen. Damit können Querschnitte
von circa 0,04 bis mehr als 60 kg/m
und Lieferlängen bis 26 m produziert
werden.
sapa Profiles aiming to
extend its market leadership
The Swedish Sapa Group can look
back favourably on its Sapa Profiles
joint venture which started
in the summer of 2007. “We have
achieved stable and sustainable
growth in our most important
markets in Europe and America.
Our high expectations have been
fulfilled”, said Arne Rengstedt,
President Business Area Profiles
Central Europe of the Sapa Group,
at a recent a press conference.
This is reflected in turnover of
about USD3.3 billion and production
of 850,000 tonnes of aluminium
profiles a year.
Sapa Profiles is the market leader
in the European extrusions market
with a market share of 18 percent;
the shares in the regional markets
in Europe range from about 40 percent
in Sweden to some 14 percent in
Germany. The market share in North
America is around 21 percent. In Europe,
Sapa operates a total of more
than 50 extrusion presses with press
capacities between 1,000 and 6,500
tonnes. This enables cross­sections
from about 0.04 to over 60 kg/m to
be extruded, with shipment lengths
up to 26 metres.
Germany is the most important European
market for the Sapa Profiles
joint venture. Thanks to the opportunities
provided by the joint venture,
Sapa sees good prospects for significantly
increasing its market share in
the coming years. “We want to grow
three times faster than the market”,
said Jacques Podszun, Country Manager
Germany of Sapa GmbH, located
in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 2008, Sapa
Profiles wants to increase turnover in
Germany by about ten percent. This
will increase its current market share
to about 16 percent. Sapa Profiles
wants to achieve this target by means
of more intensive marketing of aluminium
profiles and new sales teams
for the growth markets automotive,
solar technology and components.
Additional sales teams
The company’s sales volume of
100,000 tonnes in the German market
in 2008 ranges from industrial profiles
(27%), trading (24%), building and
construction (23%), transport (13%)
and the automotive industry (13%).
Lothar Kanowski, Business Manager
Sales Germany at Sapa GmbH, sees
opportunities for growth above all
in the car industry as well as in the
growing market for solar technology.
The new sales teams for automotive,
solar and components, which will
make Sapa’s expertise in aluminium
profiles available to these rapidly
growing markets, will contribute here
– starting with providing support in
the design of profiles via the selection
of the material through to the production
process and surface finishing.
The car industry is the most important
market for the aluminium industry.
The trend to lightweight construction
in the transport sector favours the
use of innovative, complex aluminium
structures. “With our new Automotive
sales team we want to offer our customers
competent and economical
access to the world of extruded aluminium
products in this market of the
future”, said Kanowski.
Sapa Profiles has also responded to
the growing market for solar technology
with a new sales team. According
to GDA figures, about five percent of
all aluminium extruded products, or
some 37,500 tonnes a year, are currently
used in solar technology in
Germany – with high growth rates.
The lightweight material is the basis
for numerous applications: façade
structures, light and durable supporting
structures for attaching the
solar modules, whole roofs and complete
system components are just a
few examples of what Sapa Profiles
has to offer. “In this market, too, we
see above­average opportunities for
growth because we offer our clients
added value as a result of customised
22 ALUMINIUM · 11/2008