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us to communicate across the organiza-
tion. I want each of you to have a finger
on the pulse of what is going on. I want
you to not only know the company
strategy, but also understand the role
that you play. I want us to celebrate wins
together and openly discuss challenges
together.

One of the biggest challenges we have
faced in several years is actually hap-
pening right now. The steel market has
always been volatile, and we know that
high highs are typically followed by low
lows. After the record-breaking peak we
had in 2018, we – like everyone else in
the service center business – are strug-
gling with the deep valley that is pricing
in 2019. Because of the market, our lead-
ers have had to face tough decisions. We
have all had to work harder than ever.
Thank you for that hard work. It does
not go unnoticed. Despite the market
slump, KMC continues to gain market
share while improving our cost structure
through increased productivity and effi-
ciency. We are “controlling what we can
control”, and it’s clear that our people
are not backing down. I’m so proud to
be part of such a resilient team. I know
that once the market turns around – and
we know that it eventually will – we will
realize the fruits of our labor.

What are the factors that will help us
continue to succeed under such chal-
lenging conditions? First and foremost,
we’re bringing the business decisions
ear TEAM, back to where the business is run: our
We’re proud that you are local offices. You may have recently
reading the first issue of heard about the decentralization of the
“Cutting Edge”, our new company. Our German holding com-
DKMC employee newsletter. pany agrees that our company is best
In today’s word, we are becoming more operated at a local level. Each country
connected and this is an exciting way in Klöckner & Co is taking more of the
for all 2,500 of us to stay connected and autonomy – and therefore responsibility
aligned as an organization. – for their own success.

You may be wondering, why start a As far as strategy is concerned our
newsletter? Don’t we have enough overall mission has not changed. The
going on? Well, yes we do. And that is KMC 2022 Continuous Improvement
precisely the reason for “Cutting Edge” (previously referred to as VC2) strategy
In our fast-paced environment, it can be has 4 core pillars, which you all are likely
hard to keep up with all of the changes familiar with.
and news regarding the metals industry
and KMC in particular. I hope that this 1.
publication will provide a great way for Process Efficiencies and Productivity. It

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