At 778,000 tonnes, German sections mill Stahlwerk Thüringen recorded a solid rise in finished production last year, compared to 750,000t in 2013. Turnover has nonetheless declined 4% year-on-year to €413 million, mill sources have told the local press.
 
The mill has had to produce more, and sell more, to stay even because of lower steel prices, writes the Ost Thüringer Zeitung. However, January’s order intake is stronger: "In 2015, we hope to produce and be able to sell a total of 810,000t," a mill official said in the report monitored by Kallanish. While Thüringen’s main market is Europe, demand in France and further South is poor, so the mill is looking to Germany, the Benelux countries, and further North to achieve this growth, he reportedly adds.
 
The company is also planning to expand its range of beams to produce wider dimensions that can bear heavier loads, he notes. Its main products cover IPE, HE and U-beams. Thüringen has already launched beams with a flange-size of up to 300mm, weighing 180 kg/metre for its HE80 – HE 300 range. It is now working on introducing HE 320 beams in the first half of this year, according to a recent company statement.
 
Thüringen was acquired by the Brazilian iron and steel group Companhia Siderurgica Nacional in 2012.