Tibnor

Fast facts

Tibnor distributes steel and other metals to industry in the Nordics and Baltics, complemented by a wide range of value-adding processing and parts production services. Tibnor plays an important role in securing SSAB’s leadership in the Nordic home market.

Employees, approximately: 1,000

Revenue in 2021: 12,377 million SEK

Head of Tibnor: Kimmo Väkiparta

25% market share in Nordic steel distribution

50% of sales are SSAB’s products

Market position

Tibnor’s strategy is to win market shares through the broadest product offering in the Nordics and to grow volumes in the parts business through a specialized network of processing units. In 2019, Tibnor acquired the steel distribution business of the Danish company Sanistål A/S, Denmark’s second largest steel distributor, in order to complete its Nordic footprint and establish the company as a clear market leader in all the Nordic countries.

Market drivers

Distributors have an important role in the market and nearly 55% of all steel delivered in the Nordic region, around 4 million tonnes, is supplied through distributors. The manufacturing industry in the Nordic region is characterized by a high degree of exports, hence the status of the global economy is an important factor for demand.

Value-adding services and outsourcing non-core competencies to a professional, specialized processing partner are of increasing importance for industrial customers seeking to increase their overall profitability and competitiveness.

Strengths

With its steel service center and distribution network in the Nordics and Baltics, Tibnor is able to serve its customers with high delivery accuracy and short lead-times. Tibnor’s extensive product range and specialized processing services combined with logistics expertise and modern customer service solutions form a strong customer offering.

Strategy

Tibnor’s strategy is to provide customers with the broadest offering at the most competitive price. The focus is to win market shares through growth in all customer channels. This includes growth in parts volumes through a more efficient parts production setup, growing online sales, and strengthening the local presence through the subsidiary Handelsstålsgruppen, a growing group of resellers in Sweden.

Tibnor aims to strengthen its financial position further by additional cost savings and increased focus on automation and operational excellence.

Tibnor works in close collaboration with many strategic suppliers and partners, in order to create better solutions and thereby adding value for Nordic industry.

Strategic initiatives and targets

Ensure good availability
Implement cost savings, increase automation and improve ways of working
EBITDA margin of more than 5% in 2022

Tibnor’s role in SSAB’s portfolio

Strengthen home-market position by targeting small and medium-sized customers
Increase stability over the business cycle
Support and market SSAB steel business’ premium and service offerings
Develop the parts business and other processing to increase value added

Customers and end-users

Tibnor has approximately 10,000 customers in various industries in the Nordics and Baltics. Customers range from large OEMs to small and mid-size industrial companies who use steel and other metals in their manufacturing processes and/or end products.

Key segments are the following:

Subcontracting
Engineering
Automotive, including heavy commercial vehicles
Construction

Products and services

SSAB’s product range represents approximately 50% of Tibnor’s sales. Other suppliers’ products including engineering steel and long products (e.g. beams, merchant bars and hollow sections) represent approximately 33%. Stainless steel and non-ferrous metals, mainly aluminum and copper, account for approximately 17% of sales.

Tibnor is a logistics expert with a well-established distribution system that works with different logistics flows. Logistics solutions range from 24-hour stock deliveries to individual material flows. Tibnor also offers a variety of customer contact points and service solutions, for example e-services, EDI (electronic data interchange), Webshop or personal service.

Tibnor processes all product groups supplied to the market. Tibnor’s machinery and equipment in the steel service centers are specialized in different materials, which enables Tibnor to meet very complex customer needs. Tibnor has three processing units in Finland, five in Sweden, three in Norway, as well as units in Denmark and Lithuania.

Competitors

BE Group, Stena Stål, Norsk Stål, Lemvigh Muller and Kontino, as well as a number of national local companies and niche actors.