TPi July 2009

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July 2009 Tube Products International 19
news business & market
Economic cooperation
Invitalia, a national agency for investment and enterprise
development, and SIDCO, the Saudi-Italian society for
the development, know-how and service exchange to
attract foreign investments, have signed a memorandum
of understanding for new economic cooperation between
the two countries.
In 2008, economic relations between Italy and Saudi
Arabia increased by 17%. The Saudi government
announced a plan of public investment of €95 billion,
with 1.3 million new jobs and the construction of six new
cities. In a period of economic changes and international
crises, the Riyadh agreement offers new perspectives
and opportunities for the Italian market and economy,
and will also support an exchange of information
between companies interested in investing in Italy to
boost a positive exchange and a growing working
cooperation.
One of the largest Italian investments is for a steel
mill company with plants of more than €400 million,
designed and built by Danieli Group for the production
of steel tubes for the oil and gas industry, both for
ARAMCO (the Saudi governing body for energy) and for
other market areas.
Invitalia – Italy
Osborn Metals Limited is now proudly
flying the Queen’s Award flag, to
celebrate the recognition of the group’s
sustained performance.
The group, which has plants in the UK
and France employing over 150 people,
exports over 70% of its production to
thirty countries around the world.
The Osborn Steel Extrusions plant
in Bradford, UK, produces complex
extruded near net
shapes in steel and
titanium, and is
claimed to be the only
plant of its type in the
UK, and one of only a
handful worldwide.
Hot extrusion allows
the manufacture of
complex shapes
with the minimum
use of material, and
reduces the machining
costs of customers with
applications in industries
as varied as aerospace,
power generation, petro-
chemical industries and
specialist vehicles.
Osborn wins Queen’s Award
for Enterprise
Osborn has extrusions on leading civil
aircraft, including the state-of-the-art
Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. Osborn
Metals Ltd was formed in 2001, and
has enjoyed solid growth based on
its core businesses. Osborn Metals in
France has two plants producing cold
drawn steel profiles and precision cold
drawn tubing with applications across
all sectors.
Osborn Metals Ltd – UK
Various precision steel tubes from Osborn ▼ ▼
Osborn’s hot extrusion
process allows the
manufacture of complex
shapes with the minimum
use of material