wiredInUSA - December 2011
22
Steel wire and coatings firm Bekaert has
warned of tough trading conditions in
China, due to competition and cost
increases, although third-quarter sales
fell by less than expected due to a strong
performance in Latin America.
Belgium-based Bekaert has invested
significant resources in the Asia Pacific
region where it employs more more
than 10,000 of its 25,000-strong workforce
in response to high demand for its steel
wires, but sales there declined 24%
against the same period last year.
Bekaert says challenging trading
conditions will continue in China,
where an important market is for
the supply of wire to cut silicon wafers for
the electronics and solar power industries,
and also predicted a growing impact
from the global financial turbulence
in most of its markets.
Growth in Latin America, and automotive
industry sales in Europe, helped offset the
Asia Pacific pressures to leave third-quarter
sales down 6 percent at €816 million.
Bekaert hit by China
competition
Patients’ lives were put at risk after
the theft of several meters of copper
cabling from a hospital in Sidcup, Kent,
UK in the early hours of 11
th
November.
The cabling was connected to the
hospital’s backup generator, which
provides emergency power to the
hospital’s wards and operating theaters.
Director of estates and facilities
Jonathan Pearce said: “We really
are very angry and disappointed
about this theft, which has thoughtlessly
endangered the lives of patients.
“This cabling provides emergency power
for all of our wards and operating theaters
and, if the external power supply had
failed, there would have been no
electrical power for the site.
“After a short delay, we have been able
to reconnect the backup generator this
morning, but I am amazed that people
are willing to behave in this callous way
and put their own local hospital and
community at such risk.”
Lives endangered
by copper theft
