Sanjeev Gupta

Metals Group Merges Steel, Engineering, Mining Operations

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS

A metals and industrial group was recently approved to add seven steel plants to their planned merger, combining steel, engineering, and mining businesses into a single international presence.

Following recent EU approval for Liberty to acquire seven major European steel plants from global steel and mining company, ArcelorMittal, the GFG Alliance has announced intentions to integrate most of its Liberty steel, engineering and mining businesses into a single global entity, spanning assets across the UK, Europe and Australia.

Liberty Engineering
Liberty Engineering

The consolidated business will include all of the UK steel and engineering assets, the integrated Australian Liberty primary steelworks in Whyalla, a number of high-quality Australian iron ore and metallurgical coal mines,  and, once completed, the seven European steel plants being acquired from ArcelorMittal. This merged new group would exclude GFG’s recycling and building products businesses in Australia and the U.S.

Currently these businesses exist separately within the GFG Alliance but they hope the planned merger and integration will allow Liberty to gain a more prominent position in the international market.

Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of the GFG Alliance
Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of the GFG Alliance

“We look forward to leveraging Liberty steel and mining’s integrated supply chain to create further value,” said Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of the GFG Alliance. “The business will combine Liberty’s integrated steelworks in Whyalla and its ambitious Australian iron ore and coking coal mining businesses, with Liberty House Group assets in the UK and the planned acquisition of the ArcelorMittal European manufacturing facilities.”

The business plans to internationally ship iron ore, coking coal, and semi-finished product from Australia to its manufacturing plants and mills.

Liberty is known in the UK as a steel producer and an engineering components supplier to the automotive, aviation, defense and renewable energy sectors, while Liberty Primary Steel in Australia produces rail and structural steel for the growing infrastructure and building industries.

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Acquisition of EAF Mill Expands Industrial Group’s U.S. Operations

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A Texas-based steel products manufacturer with EAF capacity that produces a diverse line of high-quality value-added steel products was recently acquired by a global industrial alliance and added to the latter’s resources, energy, transportation, and infrastructure group.

Liberty Steel USA’s acquisition of Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc. (KCI) from Contran Corporation, creates one of the country’s largest producers of wire rod. Liberty Steel USA is part of the GFG Alliance; a global group of energy, mining, metals, engineering, logistics, and financial services businesses, headquartered in London. Sanjeev Gupta is the Executive Chairman.

GFG North American CIO Grant Quasha

Keystone Steel and Wire, a division of KCI, has a 100+ year history in the steel and steel products business. The deal includes Keystone’s top-producing wire rod facility, which houses a 1.1mt capacity electric arc furnace (EAF), and an MBQ/SBQ bar mill.

Liberty Steel USA will have up to 1.8mtpa of EAF melting capacity, 2mtpa of wire rod rolling capacity, significant value-added downstream businesses and over 1,300 employees. The combined company will have operations in Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina, New Mexico, Texas, and Georgia.

“KCI and its businesses offer Liberty the chance to merge our existing U.S. steel business with one of the country’s most productive wire rod operations,” said GFG North American CIO Grant Quasha. “Combined with Liberty Steel Georgetown, KCI will increase our downstream capabilities, create critical synergies, add strong management and provide better value and products for customers as we advance our U.S. steel business to our 5mt pa goal.”

 

 

 

Main photo caption: GFG North American Chief Investment Officer Grant Quasha and Executive Chairman Sanjeev Gupta

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EAF, Rod Mill Acquired with Steelworks Purchase

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

A 540,000-ton-a-year electric arc furnace and 680,000-ton-a-year rod mill serving the construction and automotive markets will re-start melting and rolling in Spring 2018 following the acquisition of a Georgetown, South Carolina, steelworks facility.

Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of the GFG Alliance

Liberty House, part of the global metals, industrials, and energy group, the GFG Alliance, recently completed the purchase of the 600,000-sq.-ft. rod and wire mill from ArcelorMittal, the first in a series of North American acquisitions and new projects targeted by the group founded and run by British industrialist, Sanjeev Gupta.

The company is already in discussions regarding the acquisition of other major US steel assets and new greenfield projects, which it expects to announce in the coming year.

Liberty House, will initially re-hire 125 former employees at Georgetown and then build the workforce to 250 in the medium-term. The group is targeting a major share of the US market for home-produced wire rod, demand for which is projected to grow substantially during 2018.

The steelworks was a pivotal part of the state’s industrial infrastructure for nearly 70 years until it was shuttered in 2015. Liberty House now aims to restore its role in the steelmaking industry and bring hundreds of skilled jobs back to the plant and to the local and state economy.

Under an agreement with the United Steelworkers, the company expects key roles on the furnace, casters and rolling mill to be filled by experienced former employees of the plant and it is also in discussion with Georgetown Council about training programs to prepare workers for the industry.

“Securing the Georgetown furnace and mill is a major milestone for us, marking our first major step in the USA,” said Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of the GFG Alliance said. “The melting and rolling facilities here give us a formidable entry to the American market and provide a strong platform for expansion. We see major prospects for the metals industry here.”

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