Germany’s two big purchasing cooperatives for steel, EDE Stahl-Union and Nordwest Handel, have entered the New Year with changes in senior management and, in the case of EDE, with a new name.

Union Stahl-Handel, the steel unit of EDE, has been renamed as ESH EURO STAHL-Handel GmbH & Co in a move to improve the unit’s strategic development, according to a statement. One aspect of this strategy is to develop a wider perspective in international/European dimensions, says the unit’s head, Heinz-Alfred Liebig. ESH will also increase its focus beyond rebar and wire mesh, and intends to do more business in sections, pipes, flat products, and merchant bar.

Managing directors of ESH are Liebig and EDE board member Joachim Hiemeyer. A new entrant to the new ESH is Claudio Kemper, who last year left his position as head of steel at Nordwest. He was succeeded by Michael Mann, who in the meantime also left the company. Nordwest’s steel unit will now be managed by a team of two, in the form of Christopher Rüther, who has been with Nordwest for many years, and Bernd Estermann, Kallanish hears. 

Nordwest has also entered into an important cooperation in Poland with European Steel Group (ESG) in Krakow, so that both partners can source steel from a common pool of suppliers. They will benefit from this by having combined purchasing volumes of some 1 million tonnes/year each.

“Our flat products business will especially benefit,” Estermann says of the partnership, highlighting the big cutting capacities of ESG’s four warehouses. In turn, Nordwest will contribute its expertise in sections and rebar to the partnership.