Outokumpu, a global leader in the stainless steel industry, with numerous locations throughout the Americas, has announced the transfer of operations at Benrath to its cold rolling mill in Krefeld, Düsseldorf. The Benrath closure follows the completion of NIFO (Nirosta ferritic optimization) investment of EUR 108 million (approximately USD $121 million) that started in 2014. The investment in the production of the ferritic steel grades in Krefeld included new pickling and bright annealing line, new batch annealing facility as well as upgrading of cold-rolling and skinpass mills.
The Benrath closure is a step in finalizing the restructuring of Outokumpu’s European operations. “The investment expanded and enhanced our capabilities in ferritic grades, closing the Benrath cold rolling mill. We continue to serve our Benrath customers from Krefeld,” says Oliver Picht, Managing Director of Outokumpu Nirosta GmbH.