Outokumpu and Böllinghaus Steel announce a partnership in stainless steel shapes

As per agreement, Böllinghaus Steel will start selling Outokumpu’s products as part of its own offering. Böllinghaus Steel will be the representative for Outokumpu products in Europe (excluding UK and Germany) as well as in Latin America and in APAC.

At present, Böllinghaus Steel has an offering in stainless steel hexagon, square and flat bar shapes, with dimensions that are larger than Outokumpu’s size range. CEO Hartwig Härtel from Böllinghaus Steel comments that Outokumpu’s size range complements the existing offering very well indeed.

“From now on, we will be able to provide a much wider size range for our customers, especially with regards to the small size range,” says Härtel.

An established, broad customer base

On the other hand, Böllinghaus Steel has an established, broad customer base in the stainless steel shapes market. For Outokumpu, this presents a “great opportunity to expand our stainless bar sales”, says Kari Tuutti, head of Outokumpu Long Products.

“We are able to gain access to wider markets, thanks to the solid expertise of Böllinghaus Steel which is a 125-year-old industry veteran.”
Tuutti believes that by combining their offering, both companies stand to benefit a great deal.

“We have a strong partnership that features a good degree of flexibility and offers high quality products and expertise to the customers at all times,” Tuutti says.

“The partnership is focused on shapes bar in Europe and we will continue to market round bars and other long products as before thru the Outokumpu sales network,” Tuutti promises.

The two companies share the same mindset

Outokumpu and Böllinghaus Steel have a customer relationship that goes back 20 years, and Böllinghaus Steel is, for instance, producing their bars from Outokumpu billets. The two companies share the same mindset when it comes to serving the customer, points out Hartwig Härtel.

“Flexibility in everything we do – ranging from time of delivery to contract conditions – is aimed at making sure that the customer receives the best possible service,” Härtel says. Close, personal contacts with the customer are the norm with regards to both companies.