In the summer of 1998 a totally new chapter began in the then 140-year corporate history of Salzgitter AG: since the mid-1990s parent company Preussag had been gradually shifting the focus of its activities to the tourist industry and now intended to sell its steel unit. In order to safeguard the steel production site in Lower Saxony and secure jobs, the German federal state of Lower Saxony intervened, as did the Norddeutsche Landesbank. This enabled Preussag Stahl AG to both become independent and go public – and consequently rename itself “Salzgitter AG”. Even if back then many of the newly founded companies weren’t confident of remaining permanently independent, the Group has long since become an established concern of international significance. And more: Salzgitter AG is now heralded as a pioneer of decarbonization in the German and European raw materials industry. In celebration of this special anniversary, on June 14 representatives of Salzgitter AG opened trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in an opening-bell ceremony where the stock exchange bell is traditionally rung.
“Over the last 25 years we’ve quadrupled our turnover and our equity figures have risen over sevenfold – without having to increase capital at any time,” said CFO Burkhard Becker, looking back on an astounding story of success in his address on the trading floor. This is thanks to strong internal and external growth and the associated further development of the company into a steel and technology group. “In addition to steel from Salzgitter, world-famous brands such as Peiner Träger, Mannesmann and KHS now also belong to us,” Becker explained.
