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For the welding market, the year 2000 opened with indications of recovery in Asian economies. Korea
surpassed Japan to become No. 1 in the world in shipbuilding, with their bigger shipyards doing brisk in
business. Our flux-cored wire DW-100 (AWS E71T-1) enjoys a high major share at those shipyards where
they use flux-cored wires at a high rate. In China, where there are many plans to construct new shipyards and
expand existing ones, it is expected that the use of flux-cored wires will rise in the near future.
Though the ASEAN market has been rather slow to recover, it should be noted that the Thai automobile industry has seen a sharp rise in production for export, which accompanies increased sales of our C02 solid wire MG-51T (AWS ER70S-6). The US economy continues to be thriving. As compared with the IT industry, however, heavy industries that use a lot of welding consumables are slower in growth, and we hope that the petroleum industry will regain its steady growth as crude oil picks up in price. In Europe, the welding market is still dull, with inactive construction of ships and offshore structures. We will continue our efforts in opening up new demand with the spirit of "Hard times are full of good chances." The Welding Company of Kobe Steel is now building 3-year business plans for the period beginning from 2000 and ending in 2002. They will be the action guideline to make the KOBELCO welding group grow by leaps and bounds in every market in the world in the near future. Its keynote is "fortifying marketing and sales power." Our sincere desire is to sustain long-standing business with the customers who support the KOBELCO welding group the world over. For this, you never can fortify marketing and sales power too much. I hope the dearest readers of Kobelco Welding Today will prosper more and more.
Tetsuo (Tom) Konohira |
General Manager International Operations Department Welding Company Kobe Steel, Ltd. |
