The Swedish steel industry has proud traditions to uphold and was once the world’s largest exporter of steel.  SSAB originates from three of these steel companies: Domnarvets Järnverk in Borlänge, which was founded in 1878 through a merger of several smaller iron mills; NJA, Norrbottens Järnverk, which was started in 1940 in Luleå; and Oxelösunds Järnverk, which was established in 1915 and the current operations of which were started in 1960.

 

 

At the time of the formation of SSAB in 1978, it was a merger of three steel companies that were in deep crisis.

 

During the period 1978 to 1981, an extensive restructuring programme was carried out and the work resulted in a profitable commercial steels company with a broad product portfolio, focusing on the Scandinavian domestic market.

In 1982, SSAB reported a profit for the first time.  In 1987-88, the steel operations’ product range was streamlined to include sheet products and the scrap-based steel production was closed down.  The steel operations were placed in two companies, focusing on sheet and heavy plate respectively. The subsidiary, Plannja, was created in 1977 as a part of NJA and, in 1979, Tibnor was purchased in order to strengthen the steel operations’ position on the Swedish market.

In 1989, SSAB’s shares were listed on Stockholmsbörsen (the Stockholm Stock Exchange) and in 1994, the State relinquished its ownership stake entirely.

During the 1990s, the steel operations were developed increasingly into a niche player focusing on quenched steels within the plate area and extreme high-strength sheet products.  Capacity for these core niche products increased substantially through extensive capital expenditures at the end of the 1990s. 

Since this programme was completed in 2001 with the entry into use of the new quenching mill in Oxelösund, core niche products have grown on average by just over 15% per year.  Today, the core niche products account for over one-third of deliveries from the steel operations and are sold throughout the world.  Over 90% of the volume of core niche products is sold outside Sweden.

In July 2007, SSAB acquired the north American steel producer IPSCO, but SSAB has now sold IPSCO’s tubular operations.
North American Division is a leading supplier of plate. The division includes two steelworks – Mobile (Alabama) and Montpelier (Iowa) - as well as four cut-to-length lines. These steelworks have an annual total capacity of about 2,5 million metric tons of crude steel. In North American Division, these facilities use steel scrap as its primary raw material.

North American Division has approximately 1 050 employees.