ESAB AIMS FOR A SECOND CENTURY OF ACHIEVEMENT
13 October 2004 - ESAB Group

ESAB today is a global brand in welding and cutting with over 25 manufacturing centres across Europe, the Americas, Russia, Asia and China and representation in over 80 countries.

As the company enters its second century ESAB is strongly positioned to take advantage of further development, particularly within the new growth economies of Russia, China and Asia.

Originally founded in Gothenburg in 1904, and now the major part of a British owned engineering group, ESAB maintains a strong Swedish presence and brand nationality whilst also having other centres of technical excellence within Europe and North America.

It was in 1994 that ESAB became part of Charter plc, an engineering group with two global leaders within its core portfolio, of which ESAB is the larger.
Since then, the company has continued to prosper within its new ownership.

However, there have been changes in the worldwide market. Not only has large scale fabrication led by shipbuilding been moving East and South, but the cost of producing welding consumables in the mature markets, and then shipping them to where the new industries are developing, has become uncompetitive.

ESAB has changed its approach in response to these developments. For example, the company's move into the previous eastern bloc countries commenced in the 1980's and has continued since the 90s under Charter.

Those initiatives, backed by considerable restructuring investment, continues to pay off and today ESAB is certainly benefiting from, for example, the high efficiencies achieved in plants in Poland, the Czech Republic and Mexico - as well as many joint venture operations in South America and Asia.

These developments, and the associated investments, have meant that the day to day relationship between ESAB and its parent company has needed to be more immediate. Therefore, the decision was taken in 2002 to move the Headquarters of the group to London.

In February 2003 Jon Templeman was appointed Chief Executive Officer with a unique opportunity to revitalise the management team and business structure.
'It's an exciting challenge, in any circumstance to be leading a global group.
To be leading one during a period of massive change, emerging economies and in a centennial year is an astonishing opportunity, especially with a company with such strong worldwide brand recognition,' says Jon Templeman. 'I am immensely proud of the ESAB group and what I like to refer to as the 'ESAB family' wherever I travel in the world. Their commitment and dedication to customers is exemplary.'

Of course, like any business today, ESAB has had to make some tough decisions.
Two to three years ago a major restructuring in North America was carried out and the results of those decisions are now beginning to shine through. The company is going through a similar change in Europe. As Europe gets closer and the barriers to cross border trading fall down, the old business structures have become increasingly irrelevant. Indeed they actually get in the way of serving customers.

'We have been redesigning the entire European organisation for ESAB to provide more resources where they really matter - with the customer relationship and in reducing duplicated, and often conflicting, back office structures. We are now right in the middle of that implementation process - but the really exciting aspect is that we are well ahead of our competitors in doing this,' continues Jon Templeman.

ESAB is probably the world's only truly global welding and cutting company.
It has more manufacturing and distribution outlets in more markets than anyone else. That places the company in an enviable position especially when developing business to take advantage of emerging markets.

ESAB enters its second century with great confident. The company is structuring itself to be more responsive to customer needs, to be more competitive and to become ever more customer focused. Its global positioning certainly gives ESAB exceptional strengths.

On-going developments in welding equipment, in welding consumables and in cutting system technologies have given the company a product offering to lead the industry not just into its own second century but into this second millennium.
Jon Templeman concludes: 'Long term, I see us as a much larger group than we are today with Russia, India and Brazil possibly our largest markets. Technology is likely to remain in Sweden and become established in the USA, whilst production is likely to grow in Eastern Europe and possibly we will have plants in the Middle East as well. It's important to have a global vision and aspire to market leadership wherever we are active, whilst never losing sight of our duty of care to our customers. Whether or not Oscar Kjellberg ever thought of ESAB in those terms, I don't know, but I have a feeling that if he was around today he'd be proud of what his company has become.'

http://www.esab.co.uk

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