Plansee-Group invests 90 million euros at its Austrian site

The increase in production capacities will help to assure competitiveness and support the Group’s further dynamic development. A major investment is a new hot rolling mill for sheets made of refractory metals. In the fiscal year 2005/06 Plansee Group has already spent 55 million euros at the Austrian site.

“Worldwide increasing demand for products of the Plansee Group requires capital expenditure programs over the entire value chain and in all companies that are located at Breitenwang/Reutte including PLANSEE SE, PLANSEE Metall GmbH und CERATIZIT Austria GmbH“, says Dr. Michael Schwarzkopf, Chairman of the Executive Board of the PLANSEE Group.

In spring 2006 the premises will be extended in the municipality of Breitenwang by approximately 15,000 square metres. Here a new facility for mechanical processing and logistics for PLANSEE products will be built.

The new hot rolling mill for sheets made of refractory metals will help to satisfy the high demand for sputter targets. Sputter targets are needed for manufacturing LCD flat screens. Once installed the new rolling mill plant will be the worldwide biggest for sheets made of refractory metals. A sustainable reduction of manufacturing costs for flat products will strengthen the competitiveness of PLANSEE in this growth market and thus secure existing work places at the Austrian site.

While extending the premises, an additional entrance to the site is planned via the motor way B179.

With its three business divisions PLANSEE High Performance Materials, CERATIZIT and PMG, the PLANSEE Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of powder-metallurgical products. Ignoring differing shares of ownership, global turnover in 2004/05 amounted to 900 million Euros, with 6,800 people employed in the total group.