TPi September 2014

business & market news

Furnace and mill investment Michigan Seamless Tube (MST), a manufacturer of carbon and alloy seamless cold-drawn tube and pipe, has commenced operations of its new, 377ft atmosphere controlled furnace.

Supplier award Norma Group has bestowed its first Global Supplier Recognition Award on selected suppliers. The award for outstandingperformance and results goes to EMS Chemie Holding AG, a manufacturer of high-performance polymers and speciality chemicals. Receiving the award from Mr Stephenson, EMS CEO Magdalena Martullo said, “Norma Group and EMS have been working together successfully on a global basis for many years. We will continue this partnership in the future.” Norma Group has been obtaining technical thermoplastics, such as polyamides PA 6 and PA 12, in granular form from EMS since the beginning of the 1990s.

“The state-of-the-art furnace will accelerate material flow and provide our facility with the capacity to improve our products’ OD surface condition, further enhancing the value proposition that we provide to our customers. The capital infusion provided by OSS has played a crucial role in helping us grow our presence in South Lyon, and we look forward to continuing this expansion with the scheduled completion of our cold pilger mill addition in 2015.” Founded in 1927 and headquartered in South Lyon, Michigan, USA, MST manufactures carbon and alloy seamless cold-drawn tube and pipe for industries including aerospace, mining, construction, automotive and agriculture. The company’s 320,000ft 2 facility is capable of producing in excess of 40,000 tons of pipe and tube annually.

The purchase and installation of this furnace accounts for $6mn of the $25mn commitment made to MST by its parent company, Optima Specialty Steel, Inc (OSS), a North American independent manufacturer of speciality steel products. The capital improvement project, designed to expand MST’s operations and increase production capacity, has allocated the remaining $19mn to fund MST’s acquisition of a specialised cold pilger mill and construction of a new facility to house the mill. “We are thrilled to have successfully completed the first stage of our capital improvement project,” said Les Whitver, vice president of operations at MST.

Norma Group SE – Germany www.normagroup.com

Michigan Seamless Tube, LLC – USA www.mstube.com

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September 2014 Tube Products International