For the past six years this annual award has been a way of acknowledging one company out of ElringKlinger’s 2,000 suppliers for achieving best overall performance in the critical areas of quality, delivery, flexibility, co-operation in product development and price.

Coil Products Kloster is one of several suppliers of thin stainless steel strip to ElringKlinger, and typically delivers around 1,700 tpy of 0.20-0.25mm thick and 300-790mm wide tempered 301 grade stainless sheet to the company’s plants in Dettingen and Runkel. The main end customers for the gaskets are the European engine assembly plants of General Motors, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler.

To be considered for this award, ElringKlinger says that twice a year a company has to achieve a supplier assessment score of more than 90% using a weighting system based on the key performance criteria. It adds that Kloster’s performance was enhanced by a good outcome to the 2004 price negotiations and further quality improvements to its steel.

“We are proud of the award,” comments Coil Products Kloster’s marketing manager Mats Holmqvist. “We frequently have ‘A’ supplier status with ElringKlinger, but this is the first time we have had our performance acknowledged in this way.” Apart from meeting ElringKlinger’s quality requirements, Holmqvist highlights delivery and service as two particular strengths of Kloster. “To deliver on time is a culture here, but I think we also have a reputation for good service,” he states.

Based in Långshyttan, central Sweden, Coil Products Kloster is Europe’s largest integrated producer of thin, cold rolled austenitic stainless steel strip; all its incoming coil is sourced direct from nearby Outokumpu Stainless steel plants. The unit is currently operating at full capacity and this year expects to produce 28,000 tons of temper rolled, bright annealed or annealed and pickled coil in 5-790mm widths. Holmqvist emphasises that being an integrated operation is of great benefit in controlling final product quality.

Apart from gaskets, Kloster’s stainless strip is used to manufacture plate heat exchangers, heating elements and flexible tubing, as well as in the production of welded tube, springs and other flexible components. Sales are principally to customers in Sweden and Germany, and the other main industrial markets of Europe.

Coil Products Kloster is a business unit organized under the Coil Products division of the Outokumpu Stainless Business Area. The division, which employs some 4400 people, reported net sales of EUR 2628 million in 2003. Its business consists of steel melting and coil processing systems in Tornio in Finland, Avesta, Nyby and Långshyttan in Sweden and Sheffield in the UK.

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For further information, please contact:

Mats Holmqvist, Marketing Manager, Coil Products Kloster
tel. +46 225 63282 or mob. +46 70 659 5138

Hannele Öbrink, Communications Manager, Outokumpu Stainless
tel. +358 9 421 5547 or mob. +358 400 492 751.