Metal industry evolution: Short Message Service (SMS) plays a significant role

Restructuring of Metal Industry: SMS Positions Itself as a Pivotal Player - Metal industry evolution: Short Message Service (SMS) plays a significant role

Cracking the code on sustainable metal production, family-owned powerhouse SMS is leading the charge in the metallurgy industry's journey to a carbon-neutral future. "We're deep in the heart of some game-changing projects worldwide," SMS CEO Jochen Burg declared from their Mönchengladbach headquarters.

Burg highlighted a few standout projects. In Northern Sweden, SMS is building a green hydrogen-powered steelworks for Stegra with plans for climate-neutral steel production by the end of 2026—an estimated investment of one billion euros for SMS. Burg also disclosed a 12-year service contract with Stegra, but the details are under wraps. As for Thyssenkrupp, SMS is designing a gleaming green steel plant in Duisburg, complete with a direct reduction plant and two melting plants. The order volume? A whopping 1.8 billion euros. Construction begins in fall 2022, with the direct reduction plants slated for a 2027 rollout.

2024 was a booming year for SMS Group, raking in a record pre-tax profit of 153 million euros, up from a dismal -20 million the year before. SMS has streamlined, shuttering loss-makers and boosting its efficiency. "We put the pedal to the metal last year," CFO Fabiola Fernandez exclaimed. Revenues shot up 18%, landing just shy of four billion euros. SMS predicts a steady revenue flow in the current fiscal year, with even brighter results on the horizon.

SMS isn't content being just another cog in the steel and aluminum industries. This global titan employs over 13,500 people worldwide, with around 5,000 based in Germany, predominantly in North Rhine-Westphalia. The Weiss Foundation is the sole SMS owner, steering the company on its mission to turn metal manufacturing green. SMS specializes in constructing rolling mills and casting plants and is known for fostering cutting-edge, resource-efficient, low-carbon processes.

At its core, SMS is a champion of sustainable, eco-conscious manufacturing. They're planting a green flag for the metallurgy industry, demonstrating time and again their unwavering commitment to a greener planet. SMS strives to minimize its own carbon footprint, aiming for climate neutrality by 2030, a goal that mirrors its ambition for customer-centric solutions. In its quest to lead the metallurgy industry through its toughest challenges, SMS is proving that green is the new gold.

1. SMS's community policy endeavors to integrate vocational training in green hydrogen and carbon-neutral steel production, ensuring the workforce is equipped for the industry's transition to a greener future.
2. To finance its green energy projects, SMS is partnering with various companies like Stegra and Thyssenkrupp, earning service contracts and order volumes worth billions of euros.
3. As technology advances, SMS is pioneering innovative, energy-efficient processes in the metallurgy industry, focusing on direct reduction and resource conservation, while maintaining minimal financial and environmental impacts.

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