Metal-Expo: a Driver and Idea Provider for the Industry Development
Metal-Expo’2017, the 23d International Industrial Exhibition was closed on November 17 in Moscow. More than 530 companies from 35 world countries attended the event to exhibit the whole range of ferrous and non-ferrous products, the most state-of-the-art steel-making and metalworking equipment, materials and solutions. More than 28.5k steel and steel-related industries professionals from 60 world countries and 320 Russian cities visited the event.
On November 14—17 Moscow became the center of attraction to Russian and international steel producers and steel products end-users from the construction industry, heavy-engineering, fuel and energy complex, logistics and steel trading. Massive expositions at Metal-Expo’2017 were arranged by the leading Russian steel and engineering companies as well as steel structures manufacturers, among them MMK, TMK, Severstal, Mechel, OMK, NLMK, EVRAZ, Metalloinvest, UMMC, Chelpipe, Elektrostal Steel Works, Red October, Volgograd Steel Works, Abinsk Electric Steel Works, IMH, Motovilikha Plants, TEMPO, Ruspolymet, KUMZ, Aluminium Metallurg Rus, OMZ Group, VSPO-AVISMA, ORMETO-YUMZ, EZTM, Weber CoMechanics, VI-MENS, KAMI, Reltek, Litmashpribor, Pumori-North-West and many more.
Every year leading steel companies enlarge their expositions and the number of stand attendants at Metal-Expo including not only professional managers, but also company leaders and decision-makers. The number of delegates of leading steel companies may reach 80—90 professionals headed up by General Managers, Heads of Sales, Chief Engineers, and Heads of Marketing. More than 4k company leaders and General Managers were working at the stands during the exhibition, among them P. Shilyaev, General Managers, MMK, A. Shevelev, General Manager, Severstal, V. Kamelin, General Manager, Beloretsk Steel Works, M. Klochay, General Manager, Ruspolymet, V. Nechuyatov, General Manager, Energoprom Group, O. Turpenko, General Manager, Metallservis Group and many more top managers and decision-makers. A number of agreements were signed at the exhibition including a cooperation agreement between TMK and Bardin’s TSNIICHERMET signed by General Managers A. Shiryaev and V. Semenov, Metalloinvest and KAMAZ signed by Commercial Director N. Efendiev and Deputy General Manager R. Shamsutdinov. “Attending Metal-Expo has become a good tradition for steel producers. Every year the exhibition gets better as to target audience and interesting discussions. A big number of exhibits the companies bring to the exhibition show the development of the industry”, said V. Markin President of OMK.
The exhibition has become a business platform for sales and purchase decision-makers. More than 200 international steel companies attended the event, among them: ArcelorMittal, SSAB, Metinvest, Byelorussian Steel Works, Ansteel, Dneprospetsstal, SMS group, Slovenian Steel Group, Ficep, Metalforme, Fagor, Gasparini, MAIR Research, Liebherr, TerexFuchs, LDM, Bronx International, Bradbury, HWS Sinto, Dango & Dienenthal, Gertner Group, Glama, Vernet Behringer, Danieli, NKMZ, Fives, RHI and many more. MetalStroyForum’2017, Exhibition for Steel Products and Structures for Construction, MetallurgMash’2017, Exhibition for Equipment and Technologies for Steel Industry and Metal Working, and MetallTransLogistic’2017, Exhibition for Logistics in the Steel and Mining Industries were held as part of Metal-Expo’2017.
A hard-driving program of events at Metal-Expo’2017 included a record-breaking number of conferences (more than 50) covering the most pressing problems of the industry: use of modern types of materials and equipment in the ferrous non-ferrous industries, galvanizing, welding, secondary resources, standardization of reinforcing bars, galvanized and pre-painted products, steel structures, wire-mesh products, marketing, IT-solutions, corporate communications etc. The program of events was opened by Russian Metal and Steel Market, the 20th International Conference which brought together more than 140 delegates: governmental officials, steel company leaders, heads of sales, experts and analysts. The conference ended with awarding winners of contests for The Best Russian Steel Service Center and Sales Network‘2017.
During panel discussions the delegates of the conferences held during Metal-Expo’2017 discussed the main trends in the domestic and global steel markets, production results of 2017 and prospects for 2018. Thus, The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation held a meeting on the steel complex development for heads of steel companies, industry associations and unions. The delegates discussed the most pressing issues of the ferrous and non-ferrous industries, and their possible solutions. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation also held a workshop on mastering new types of steel products and improving quality of steel products of the automotive industry.
A number of companies (NLMK, TMK, Severstal-Metiz etc.) also held conferences and meetings with their dealers and end-users. Mid November is a good time to make plans for the forthcoming financial year. By the projections of experts, 2018 will see growing demand for steel in the domestic market (5-6% in 2017). Russian Steel Association reports the biggest growth in demand for steel in 2017 (14% as compared to 2016) is registered in the heavy-engineering segment. The Russian cars producers increased purchases of steel products by 9% in 2017. However, in absolute terms, the maximum growth is registered in the construction segment accounting for more than 50% of rolled stock use in the domestic market (+4%). 2017 was successful for Russian tubes producers as well. According to Foundation for Development of Tube Industry in 2017 demand for oil and gas pipes (OCTG) grew 18% as compared to 2016. Use of tubular products in heavy-engineering grew up to 20% in 2017, while construction and housing service account for 10%. In 2018 use of steel products may grow considerably due to implementations of such projects as Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway, reconstructions of railways all over the country, infrastructure building projects etc.
A number of companies presented their investment projects at Metal-Expo’2017. The following projects became winners of the contest for The Best Event in the Russian Steel Industry’2017:
· MMK’s project on commissioning a continuous hot-dip galvanizing aggregate for cold-rolled plates, capacity: 375ktpy; investments: 6 bn rubles;
· Building of coating plant #3 at Severstal facilities. The complex includes a continuous hot-dip galvanizing aggregate, capacity: 400ktpy and a polymer coatings aggregate, capacity: 200ktpy, investments: 7bn rubles;
· Building a steel wire plant at Abinsk Electric Steel Works facilities, capacity: 65ktpy, investments: 1,2bn rubles;
· Commissioning of a 3d hot briquetted iron complex at Lebedinsk Mining and Dressing Plant facilities, part of Metallinvest, capacity: 1,8mtpy, investments: $660M.
Winners in special contests were also awarded Metal-Expo’2017 gold and silver medals for prominent achievements in ferrous and non-ferrous industries and equipment manufacture. Students and post graduates, the winners in the contest for young scientists were awarded at Future is Determined Today summit. Winners in Metal-Vision’2017 contest for the best promo film among Russian and the CIS steel companies, contest among corporate publications, contest for the best internet project in the steel industry and metal trading were also awarded at Metal-Expo’2017.
Despite of growing popularity of internet communications, the attendance of the exhibition still remains high. A record-breaking number of industry professionals (13,6k) visited the exhibition on the second day (November 15). At the stand of Metal Supply and Sales journal, the General Information Partner of Metal-Expo interviews with steel company leaders and top-managers were held and broadcast live on the website of the journal. More than 60 industry professionals including I. Shirokobrod, Head of Sales and Logistics, EVRAZ, E. Chernyakov, Head of Sales, Severstal, N. Lyadov, Head of Sales, MMK, R. Obryaschikov, General Manager, NLMK Trade House, A. Akhramovich, Head of Sales, Byelorussian Steel Works, A. Mikhalev, Financial Director, Urals Tube Works, V. Pikalov, Head of Sales, SSAB Europe and many more were interviewed. Metal-Expo is a key event in the Russian and global steel industries. The four days clearly show the steel and steel-related markets structures providing a good opportunity to know the strategies of industry leaders, and discuss with contractors the most pressing problems of the industry. As a mirror Metal-Expo reflects the latest trends in the industry. It is a driver and idea provider for the industry development. The majority of the exhibitors rated their participation in the event as highly efficient and already confirmed the attendance of Metal-Expo’2018, the 24th International Industrial Exhibition (November 13-16, VDNHa, Moscow, Russia).
Welcome to Metal-Expo’2018!