Getting to Know SSIAbout SteelSustainability

Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited, or SSI, was established in 1990 as Thailand's first manufacturer of hot-rolled steel sheet in coils (HRC), with the aim to develop an integrated value-added steel sheet industry in Thailand, based on high-quality personnel, technological excellence, and ideal location. This endeavor was supported by the Board of Investment as one of thirteen primary industries essential to the nation's economic and social security. Since its creation over a decade ago, SSI has in numerous ways continued to be a pioneer in Thailand's steel industry. Today SSI has become the country's largest high-quality and high value-added steel sheet producer, and now seeks pre-eminent presence as the leading steel sheet producer for the whole of Southeast Asia.

At an investment cost of 13.3 billion baht (over US$500 million), SSI erected a modern hot strip mill with an annual production capacity of 2.4 million tonnes on a 480-acre plot of land in the Bang Saphan district of Prachuap Kirikhan Province, 400 kilometres from Bangkok on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand. This investment bolsters the Government's development policy in both the strengthening of Thailand manufacturing industry and the creation of high-value jobs on the western seaboard thereby distributing income among local communities. The Company's head office, meanwhile, is located near Silom Road, in Bangkok's central business district. SSI employs over 800 persons, both in Bangkok and Bang Saphan.

SSI is fully committed to developing an integrated value-added steel sheet industry in Thailand. As part of this strategy, the Company has invested in a number of ventures related to our core business, namely:

1. Thai Cold Rolled Steel Sheet Public Company Limited (TCR), Thailand's first cold strip mill with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes, producing cold-rolled steel sheet in coil using SSI's high-quality HRC as feedstock.

2. Thai Coated Steel Sheet Company Limited (TCS), Thailand's first electro-galvanizing mill with an annual production capacity of 180,000 tonnes, further galvanizing cold-rolled steel sheet with advanced electrolytic process into zinc-coated steel sheet for high-end application.

3. Prachuap Port Company Limited (PPC), a deep-sea commercial port for ocean-going vessels, with annual through-put capacity of 6 million tonnes.

4. West Coast Engineering Company Limited (WCE), a company providing engineering and repair and maintenance services.

All of these operations are located in Bang Saphan District, Prachuap Kirikhan Province.
SSI constantly strives to develop products that can meet the wide-ranging needs of our customers in various industries. We have recently invested 1 billion baht in a Pickling and Oiling Line project (P/O Line), with annual processing capacity up to 1 million tonnes. Utilizing sophisticated technology and equipment from Canada and Germany, this line commenced commercial production in May 2004. We have also embarked upon a 3.6 billion-baht Capacity Expansion Project, which will raise the annual capacity of our hot strip mill from 2.4 million tonnes to 4 million tones, due for completion by February 2005. In addition to capacity increase, this investment employs the most advanced technology available today, thereby enhancing the range and quality of our products, and improving our production efficiency and energy consumption.

Our mission is to provide high-quality steel sheet products and services that offer the utmost satisfaction to our customers while caring for our communities, society, and the environment. As a result of our hard effort, SSI was the first winner of the Prime Minister's Best Industry Award in 2003 and the first recipient of the Prime Minister's Industry Award for All-Round Industrial Excellence, for four years in succession, respectively based on Productivity Improvement, Environmental Management, Quality Management, and Safety Management. SSI has also been granted a Thai Industrial Product Standards certificate by the Ministry of Industry, ISO 9002 quality management accreditation in 1997, ISO 14001 environmental management certification in 2000, and TIS 18001 occupational health and safety management approval in 2002.