MMK Continues to Develop Premium Products for Pipe Industry
Alexander Kadoshnikov, the head of the Pipe Industry Group at Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), spoke at the 13th national conference “Steel Pipes: Production and Regional Sales” about MMK’s work on pipe products and rolled steel for their production.
He noted that MMK is the largest supplier of semi-finished rolled metal for pipe production in Russia, adding that more than half of the hot-rolled products that MMK produces for the domestic market go to the pipe industry. In addition, MMK produces its own round, galvanised and profile pipes.
According to Kadoshnikov, MMK’s product strategy is aimed at developing and increasing sales of premium products, including for the pipe industry – a sector that, more than any other, is leading the development of innovative products. In 2022, the company began producing several new types of steel, including corrosion-resistant, high-strength and niobium-free products, as well as products for use in northern latitudes and for gas pipelines that pass through zones with active tectonic faults. These steel products are used at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky International Airport and at the Bukhta Sever oil terminal, among other places.
MMK is also developing online sales through its corporate marketplace, which in 2022 increased the volume of metal products sold by 85% compared with the previous year. Also, as part of its customer-oriented approach, the Company is working to increase its share of just-in-time sales and improve its logistics system. Last year, MMK opened a production and logistics centre in the Togliatti Special Economic Zone that enables the Company to deliver products to consumers by road within one to two days.
The 13th national conference “Steel Pipes: Production and Regional Sales” was held on 18-19 May, 2023. Attendees included more than 140 managers and specialists from pipe manufacturers, mining and metals companies, suppliers of raw materials, trading companies, distributors of steel pipes, equipment suppliers, consumers of pipe products as well as representatives of government agencies and civic associations, analysts and experts.