Gerdau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gerdau S.A. | |
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| Type of Company | Public (NYSE: GGB) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1901 |
| Headquarters | Porto Alegre, Brazil |
| Key people | Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter |
| Industry | Steel |
| Products | Steel |
| Revenue |  $9.093 billion USD (2005) |
| Employees | 23,177 |
| Website | www.gerdau.com.br |
Gerdau S.A. is the largest producer of long steel in the Americas, with steel mills in Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. It also holds 40% stake in the Spanish company Sidenor. Currently, Gerdau has an installed capacity of 19 million metric tons of steel per year.
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[edit] History
Johann Heinrich Kasper Gerdau, a native of Hamburg, Germany, immigrated to Brazil in 1869, and originally established himself as a trader, and then a merchant, founding a general store in Cachoeira do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Around 1900, Gerdau, who had by then adopted the Brazilian first name João, moved to Porto Alegre. There, Gerdau entered a new business, buying up the nail factory Pontas de Paris in 1901. By the end of the 20th century, Pontas de Paris company had become the largest nail manufacturer in the world.
The shortage of raw materials in the aftermath of World War II led Gerdau into steel production itself, thereby ensuring its nail operation's supply.
[edit] Today
Gerdau's core business is to transform steel scrap and iron ore into steel products. It clients encompasses the civil construction, industrial and agricultural sectors.
Its operations are based on the integrated regional market mill concept of which raw materials are bought from nearby suppliers and products are primarily sold in the same region. Gerdau operates through three different processes:
- Mini mills;
- Integrated mills;
- Direct reduced iron plant.
It owns 44 fabrication shops and 26 mills. It also has facilities in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. It also holds 40% stake in the Spanish company Sidenor.
