The exchange-listed voestalpine Group has set ambitious goals up to the year 2020. With a clear focus on the customer segments Mobility and Energy and on non-European growth markets, and with profitability remaining at virtually at the same level compared to the last few years, sales are projected to soar from the most recent EUR 12.1 billion to approximately EUR 20 billion.

The listed voestalpine Group continues to further expand its market position in North America by undertaking an acquisition in its special steel segment. Böhler-Uddeholm Canada Ltd., a company of voestalpine’s Special Steel Division, acquires the Canadian company Sturdell Industries Inc., which is headquartered in Rexdale (Toronto) and has another site in Rochester, NY, in the USA.

On 9 December 1949, a pioneering decision was made in Linz to construct a steel mill based on a completely new technology, the Linz-Donawitz process (LD process). Only three years later, on 27 November 1952, the world’s first LD steelmaking plant was commissioned at the site of the current headquarters of voestalpine AG. This was closely followed by a second plant that was put into operation on 22 May 1953 in Donawitz.

On November 14, the voestalpine Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Metal Forming Division’s new US plant in Cartersville, Georgia. The most recent US investment in the future production of automotive components is worth around EUR 50 million and the plant will already be operational by June 2013. Once fully up and running, the plant will provide jobs for around 220 employees. Over the coming years voestalpine will invest significantly more than EUR 100 million in new plants in China, the USA, South Africa, Romania and Germany as part of its comprehensive globalization strategy in the automotive sector.

Consolidated revenue in the first two quarters of the business year 2012/13 (April 1 to September 30, 2012) at EUR 5.9 billion was nearly identical to the sales figures for the previous year (EUR 6.0 billion).

With an EBITDA of EUR 730 million and EBIT of EUR 441 million based on almost stable revenues in the first half of 2012/13 voestalpine is well on track to repeat the (adjusted) earnings figures of the business year 2011/12.

This year you have again the possibility to watch the press conference on the results of the first half year 2012/13 live via internet.

“We’re taking the future into our own hands” is the motto of the campaign and the philosophy embodied by the corporation.

voestalpine AG has successfully placed a corporate bond issue of EUR 500 million in the capital market, intended to be used for general financing purposes. The quality of the final order book with EUR 1.7 billion and 270 different investors, in particular from Germany, Switzerland and UK, was excellent. The coupon is 4%.

In Leoben, today is the EUMICON 2012 European Mineral Resources Conference kick off.

In the next several years, voestalpine will be investing more than EUR 100 million in new plants in China, the USA, South Africa, Romania, and Germany as part of a comprehensive globalization strategy in the automotive sector. Now the first concrete step is being taken overseas.

Although the economy has experienced a significant weakening in the past twelve months, the voestalpine Group was able to keep revenue in the first quarter of the business year 2012/13 (EUR 3,051 million as of June 30, 2012) at practically the same level as it has been in the excellent first quarter of the previous year (EUR 3.052 million). This is primarily the result of a new record for quarterly revenue set by the Metal Engineering Division, while the three other divisions experienced slight declines.

voestalpine is not just a sponsoring partner for the Klangwolke, it is also involved in numerous activities. For the recent Annual General Meeting, a special installation for the voestalpine Klangwolke was developed showing photos of employees with the letters they made for the Soundcloud ABC.

Today, Wednesday, at the 20th Annual General Meeting of voestalpine AG, a dividend of EUR 0.80 per dividend-bearing share was approved. Compared to the previous year, the dividend remained unchanged despite the decline in results.

This year you have again the possibility to watch the Annual General Meeting via internet. The event where the Management Board of voestalpine AG will present the results of the financial year 2011/12, will be held on 4th July 2012 at 10:00 am in the Design Center Linz.

Under the following link you can watch the live stream (German only):
www.voestalpine.com/streaming

At EUR 12.1 billion, the voestalpine Group generated the highest revenue in the company’s history during the business year 2011/12 (April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012), thus exceeding revenue for the previous year (EUR 10.95 billion) by 10.1%.

This year you have again the possibility to watch the press conference on the results of the financial year 2011/12 live via internet. The event where the Management Board of voestalpine AG will present the results of the financial year 2011/12, will be held on 30th May 2012 at 10:00 am in Vienna.

Under the following link you can watch the live stream (German only):
www.voestalpine.com/streaming

The voestalpine Group has established Austria’s first industrial gas balance group for the centralized purchasing of natural gas. By establishing its own balance group, voestalpine can independently supply all its Austrian sites with gas. The first site to be supplied with gas in this manner will be the lime works in Steyrling.

voestalpine Austria Draht GmbH expands its activities in wire processing and acquires 54% of CPA Filament GmbH from the Steinklauber Group.

For the 2012-13 business year just begun, voestalpine is increasing R&D expenditure to a record level of EUR 132 million.

The resolution on the new Group structure was unanimously adopted during today’s meeting of the voestalpine AG Supervisory Board. The Automotive Division and Profilform Division will be amalgamated to create the Metal Forming Division.

Today, Tuesday, the Management Board of voestalpine AG agreed to set aside EUR 205 million in reserves to cover any risks relating to the antitrust proceedings relative to rails deliveries in Germany, as well as the planned closure of TSTG Schienentechnik GmbH & Co KG (“TSTG”), part of the voestalpine Group.

The Management Board of voestalpine AG decided today, Tuesday, to end production at its Duisburg subsidiary, TSTG Schienentechnik GmbH & Co KG (“TSTG”). The decision is based on the site’s inability to operate cost-effectively. It is no longer possible to produce rails competitively at the site over the long term.

Become acquainted with the leading technologies and innovations from voestalpine in market comparison: Several of the Group's companies will be represented at the “Tube” and “wire” exhibitions being held on March 26-30, 2012, in Düsseldorf – the leading trade fairs for both the tube industry and the wire and cable industry.

The success story continues for phs-ultraform, a hot-dip galvanized high-strength steel developed by voestalpine for lightweight construction of car body panels. A revolutionary enhancement of this patented product innovation will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show. voestalpine AG, a company with global operations that is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, is the only manufacturer able to produce phs-ultraform components using both the indirect and direct process – a newly added capability. An entire industry is showing intense interest.

Despite an altogether extremely challenging economic environment, in the first three quarters of the business year 2011/12 voestalpine Group was able to exceed the previous year’s results, both for revenue and across all reporting categories.

The Automotive Division of the voestalpine Group has concluded its largest single contract to date, with a leading European car manufacturer. The order volume amounts to around EUR 700 million. As a result, the voestalpine Group will produce sophisticated automotive components in countries such as China and the USA for the first time. The Group is investing around EUR 100 million for this global move into the automotive segment.