Salzgitter AG acquiring 100 percent of HKM

Salzgitter AG acquiring 100 Percent of HKM

• Shareholders Salzgitter, thyssenkrupp Steel, and Vallourec reach final agreement

• Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Salzgitter AG

• Steel production continues at the location rooted in tradition – with a clear focus on the green transition and a reduced workforce
  
  

Salzgitter. Steel production continues at the southern Duisburg location that is steeped in tradition. Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Salzgitter AG in the future, after the two co-shareholders, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe and Vallourec, announced their intention to withdraw from the joint venture. With this step, the Salzgitter Group is assuming full responsibility for HKM and aims to prepare the integrated steelworks for the challenges ahead with a clearly defined plan and a total commitment to the green transition.

In early February, Salzgitter AG and thyssenkrupp Steel had agreed on a key issues paper regarding the complete acquisition of HKM. In the course of intensive and meticulous negotiations, the parties have now reached a final agreement that serves the interests of all existing shareholders. Following the signing of the contracts on July 8, the integration of HKM into the Salzgitter Group is set to commence. The closing of the agreement and transfer of the company shares are scheduled to take place later today.

Salzgitter AG plans to invest in an electric arc furnace in Duisburg to transform the site, make it future-proof, and reduce CO2emissions from steel production by 90 percent over the long term. Due to economic challenges, this transition will be accompanied by a significant reduction in the number of employees. The plan is to reduce the number of people employed by HKM from the current approximately 3,000 to about 1,000 in the long term. Without these painful job cuts, Salzgitter AG would not have been able to complete the acquisition on its own. The alternative would have been to completely shut down the integrated steel mill in Duisburg. Only through this rigorous repositioning does HKM have a chance of a successful future in the long term.

"We took the time needed to negotiate with the co-shareholders to date regarding the continuation of HKM under our sole responsibility. Given the complexity of these discussions and the great significance of the outcome for the employees in Duisburg, exacting thoroughness clearly took precedence over speed in this process. "We are pleased that we have now found a satisfactory solution for all parties involved," as Gunnar Groebler,
CEO of Salzgitter AG stated.