TRIMET Aluminium SE is very satisfied with the results in its anniversary year. The materials specialist, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, ended the 2014/2015 financial year (30 June) with a consolidated turnover of 1.8 billion euros (previous year: EUR 1.3 billion euros). By expanding capacity, the company was able to meet the continuing high demand for aluminum alloys, achieving value-driven growth. Following the expansion and modernization of its production facilities, TRIMET is prepared for the increasing demand for innovative aluminum solutions in the current fiscal year, thereby providing long-term job stability.
TRIMET’s aluminum smelters, foundries and refineries worked at full capacity this past financial year, producing a total of approximately 740,000 tons of aluminum. With nearly 2,900 employees, the TRIMET Group attained a profit margin of 3.4 percent. The adjusted earnings of 61 million euros were offset by capital expenditures of 76 million euros. “In the past financial year, we once again invested heavily in our production facilities. First and foremost, we would like to thank our employees for allowing us to do this over the entire 30 years of our existence. We would also like to thank our customers and all our business partners, without whose trust and longstanding loyalty we would never have survived,” says Dr. Martin Iffert, CEO of TRIMET Aluminium SE.
In the past financial year, TRIMET predominantly made investments to expand its production facilities. The expansion of the foundry at the Essen base is nearing completion. A new continuous casting plant with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons will be commissioned in late 2015. At the new TRIMET location in Voerde, additional electrolytic furnaces were upgraded to achieve full production capacity, and in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, the company put decommissioned electrolytic furnaces back into operation. The aluminum smelter in the French Alps is running at full capacity again for the first time in a decade. TRIMET also enlarged the connected foundry there. In addition to high-quality aluminum wire rod, the plant now produces rolling ingots and casting alloys, primarily for the automotive industry.
Contribution to grid stability and a secure energy supply
Over the past financial year, TRIMET’s energy-intensive electrolysis plants continued to make an important contribution to the stability of the power grids. In the first half 2015 alone, 45 disconnections were carried out by grid operators in TRIMET’s aluminum smelters under deferrable load control legislation to compensate for load peaks and avoid the risks of power failure. The virtual battery model developed by TRIMET, which flexibly aligns aluminum production to a fluctuating power supply, successfully completed its first test phase in June 2015. The converted electrolysis cells of the Essen aluminum smelter will now be put into test operation.
Reliability and far-sighted growth for 30 years
In the current fiscal year, TRIMET is focusing on the continuing rising demand. “Having integrated our newest locations and expanded capacity, we can offer our customers a full range of formats for aluminum processing,” says Iffert. The aluminum specialist adheres to the precepts of a medium-sized company and is committed to the location. The family-owned business considers its close proximity to customers a key success factor here. “As a materials supplier for high-quality industrial products and a partner for materials development, the benchmark for our actions is our customers’ success. The electrical, engineering and automotive industries and their suppliers form Europe’s innovative engine as an industrial location. And we are making our own contribution to this,” says Iffert.
As a family-run business for the past 30 years, TRIMET has considered its role to be a reliable partner to all employees, even in times of difficulty. This also applies to the new locations, following the gradual expansion of recent years. “TRIMET is a success story of integration. The newly added employees have played a decisive role by bringing industry expertise from our new production sites into the TRIMET family,” says Iffert. “At TRIMET, it’s not important where someone comes from. Instead, it’s important what that person can do. We offer all our employees development and advancement opportunities. This allows people from migrant backgrounds the best opportunities for societal integration. In the process, we are helping to secure future success in Germany and Europe.”
TRIMET was founded in 1985 as a metals trading company, and entered the aluminum production segment in the 1990s. Today, in addition to its commercial activities, the company operates four aluminum smelters, two recycling plants and several foundries, and manufactures turnkey vehicle components for well-known automotive brands. As the leading aluminum producer in Germany, TRIMET places great stock in its independence from capital markets and has a very solid equity base.
By: Wolfgang Nübold
Source: Trimet.eu
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