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Optimistic future for steel

31 October 2017

Sanjeev Gupta, InfraBuild’s new owner, described an optimistic outlook for the Australian steel industry at the recent ASI Convention.

“GFG will assist in building a strong, safe and prosperous future for the Australian steel industry”. This was the message delivered by InfraBuild’s (formerly LIBERTY OneSteel) new owner, Sanjeev Gupta, at September’s Australian Steel Institute (ASI) Convention on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Mr Gupta’s address outlined the strategic importance of the Australian market to the GFG Alliance, and the strategic role of steel in the future development of Australia’s infrastructure.

With growth in Australia’s major transport infrastructure projects forecast to outstrip the peak of the mining boom by up to 70 per cent over the next five years, Mr Gupta confirmed his confidence in the growth prospects for steel markets and for steel usage in Australia in coming years. He also highlighted his strong belief that Australia could be a global leader in steel with the abundance of raw materials locally available.

Mr Gupta set out his strategic vision for InfraBuild, building on the strengths of the existing businesses. He identified the strength of the businesses’ core assets: its facilities, and its people. He described GFG’s culture as agile, entrepreneurial, energetic and ambitious with its strong focus on growth; and outlined the 100-day transformation agenda being led by the businesses’ leadership team, identifying the requirements for investment to drive growth, and the opportunities for staff, customers, and suppliers this will unlock.

InfraBuild’s Executive General Manager, Manufacturing, and Chairman of the ASI, Neil Gibson, welcomed Mr Gupta and echoed his optimism in the infrastructure-led growth potential for Australia’s steel industry supply chain. Recognising the ASI’s achievements in the past year, Mr Gibson highlighted the growth in major steel intense construction projects, up to 35 compared with 22 the prior year, the ASI’s advocacy efforts leading to federal and state local content policies, the Steel Fabricator Certificate programme and the continued provision of seminars for engineers and building certifiers of the benefits of steel in construction.

The ASI Convention 2017, of which InfraBuild was a major sponsor, was themed ‘Steeling Australia’s Infrastructure’. Plenary sessions from leading infrastructure, sustainability, construction, manufacturing, government and advisory experts were consistent in their message: that there is a vibrant future and critically important role for the Australian steel industry in delivering sustainable nation-building infrastructure, with a rigid compliance focus and with an unswerving commitment to employee and customer safety.

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