BE Group focuses on rising steel prices

The global pandemic has piled on the pressure for steel in Europe. Domestic producers have simply not been able to match the pressure.  Meanwhile, the demand for steel within the Chinese industrial landscape has increased significantly.

- It has been a turbulent year in the industry with high demand for steel, resulting in significant turbulence with prices rising sharply. In this perspective, it is now important to be able to meet with customers to talk about the market situation, about different materials and about what options are available. But we must also understand customers' needs, requirements and expectations going forward," says Jens Karlsson, Marketing Manager at BE Group.

The steel industry is not typically an industry where revolutionary new products are introduced every year, but it is important to keep abreast of raw material prices and the state of the market. Therefore, passing on knowledge and information has always been an important aspect for BE Group at Elmia Subcontractor, and this year it is perhaps more important than ever.

- The market situation, products and prices are the focus for our talented sales staff on site. It is part of our overall communication plan and an important aspect of our attendance at Elmia Subcontractor," says Jens Karlsson.

If the price situation presents one challenge for the steel industry, the climate presents another. Sustainability issues are high on the agenda, both for the industry and for individual companies. For BE Group, this means a requirement to make a solid effort to develop environmental product declarations for the company's products. This will be communicated throughout Elmia Subcontractor.

- We make environmental product declarations connected to our processes and describe the environmental impact of a specific product throughout its life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing to transport, use of the finished application and waste management. In the past, we have used suppliers' EPDs - Environmental Product Declarations - but now we make our own environmental product declarations. All so that we can be as transparent as possible when the customer asks for it, says Jens Karlsson and continues:

- This is genuinely important for everyone living on this planet, and from a business perspective it's become a customer requirement. We have to meet their demands, even if the process across all of our products is extensive.

BE Group started as Bröderna Edstrand in Malmö back in 1885 and today supplies steel, stainless steel and aluminium to the construction and manufacturing industries, mainly in Sweden, Finland and the Baltic States. At Elmia Subcontractor 2021, BE Group will be presenting some innovative solutions, including a new web shop and some new investments in its machinery.

- Elmia Subcontractor is a fair that suits us well - here we are at the centre of the industry. Elmia Subcontractor is unique in northern Europe and there is both breadth and depth among both exhibitors and visitors. The fair gives us a real sense of continuity and has more or less become a staple in our calender," says Jens Karlsson.