2021: looking ahead while dealing with an unusual year

The year 2021 has been marked by the post-pandemic economic recovery, high steel prices, tensions in global supply chains and supply bottlenecks. In short, we are living an environment combining the medium and long-term effects of the crisis generated by the Covid-19 with external elements that deeply affect the rolled steel sector.

All in all, for Arania, 2021 has been the year confirming the company’s right track thanks to future-oriented projects while reinforcing the Group’s main values: commitment to sustainability, quality and effort in order to stay at the forefront of the sector. Furthermore, 2021 has been the year of commitment to sustainability, environmental protection and innovation.

This year opened with some uncertainty, but also with a strong commitment to consolidate the company’s leading position as a point of reference in the rolled steel sector despite the crisis. Reliability and quality are Arania’s best business card, as these key assets consolidate the trust of our partners and open the door to new customers. Thanks to new projects focused on medium-long term, with special attention on new materials and quality, the objective of the 2021-2024 Company Plan implemented since the first meeting of the year is to further improve the good results achieved in the last few seasons in terms of quality, reliability and product excellence.

Environmental sustainability is currently a priority for Arania. Several plans are being undertaken to improve the carbon footprint and reduce the environmental impact of the company’s industrial activities. During this year, this action plan includes the reduction of the Arania’s carbon footprint through the management of GoO (Guarantees of Renewable Origin) and the HAMBEMET project together with Siderex, for the measurement of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF).

In five years, hazardous waste has been reduced by 40%. With the implementation of responsible management practices aimed towards the segregation, reuse and recovery of the vast majority of waste, such as the Circular Economy project developed together with Ihobe, Arania keeps moving forward in its environmental management policy both at corporate and production level. Arania’s Waste Prevention and Management Plan 2030 aims to further reduce the volume of non-reusable waste in the manufacture of rolled steel.

Since its foundation in 1940, the Arania Group has always remained committed to developing more advanced processes with a clear long term vision in terms of management of its production-technological processes, not forgetting its most important asset: people and their welfare within the Group itself. The sustainable development goals provide industrial value to society through our activities and our environmental commitment, strengthening our reputation and relationships with partners, customers, suppliers and institutions.

After nearly two years without professional fairs and international meetings, which are essential for making progress in an ever-changing industrial context requiring a rapid adaptation, this year’s programme of events is back on track with a number of large-scale appointments. Last October, Arania visited Stuttgart to take part in Blechexpo, the most important industrial event of the year for the sector.

Arania met Europe’s top industrial actors in this major fair to strengthen international presence and get inspiration from cutting-edge and efficient process technologies in sheet metal working and joining technologies. Digitalisation, sustainability and efficiency of the processes in an ever-changing production environment were the centrepieces of the event, trends that are sketching the future of the sheet metal working industry.

In a context marked by fierce competition and market distortions, industrial companies such as Arania —and more particularly in the high quality rolled steel industry — aim to fully optimise their resources while ensuring the highest quality standards.

As a result of the different measures taken in recent years, the response to the pandemic and the successful implementation of the on-site operational excellence Project, Arania maintains its leadership in customer service quality and support, improving the company’s performance year after year in the eyes of clients, partners and suppliers.

Lead times, product and transport quality, service improvements, technical assistance, business relationships with external suppliers… The surveys carried out among Arania’s customers over the last six years ratify its leadership in customer service and support, with results improving every season. In addition, the company’s response to the pandemic and its flexibility when adapting to the specific needs of each customer have reinforced its position as the preferred and most reliable partner in the high quality cold-formed steel industry.

Arania’s management and quality processes keep going forward as a reference in the cold-rolled steel sector. This year, the company has completed a general update of different industry standards and ISO certifications related to safety, quality, environmental protection and energy efficiency.

Accordingly, Arania is strongly committed to safety, and this year has been the ideal occasion to launch the Excellent Safety project, aiming to involve all the company’s resources in a global and consensual reflection on possible improvements in safety, based on three key pillars: people, participation and awareness, with the idea of fostering a cultural change.

The next few years will undoubtedly be marked by very powerful projects, a considerable demand and a new strategy focused on boosting new sectors and markets: this will be a period of opportunity where Arania will open the door to new and promising customers.