Sheffield Forgemasters has showcased its current and future investment plans to Russian companies at a high profile engineering conference in St Petersburg. Forgemasters said it received enquiries for a multi million pound steel rolls order at the conference.

Mr Vladimir Varzunov manager of equipment purchasing at Severstal said that "Business relations between Severstal and Sheffield Forgemasters are very strong. Forgemasters supplies more steel rolls to us than any other roll maker, averaging 300 per year, and has been our supplier for 11 years, longer than any other company."

Forgemasters recently announced new multi million pound contracts with OJSC Power Machines to supply components for hydro power and fossil fuel power generation plants, signaling an expansion into energy markets which are crucial to Russia's economic growth.

Mr Graham Honeyman CEO of Forgemasters said that "Shaping the Future was a great success and we have already seen significant order inquiries as a result of our trip to St Petersburg, including a multi million pound enquiry for steel rolls. I'm confident that we will soon make further Russian contract announcements. Russia is one of the most important, dynamic economies in the world and Sheffield Forgemasters now has eleven years' history of supplying components into the country."

During the conference, the 75 delegates learned about Forgemasters' GBP 22 million investment in new plant over the last two years, helping to keep the 200 year old engineering specialist at the forefront of global engineering.

Companies attending the conference included Severstal, MMK, OJSC Power Machines, MZMZ, Prometey, OMZ Special Steels, Lengi promez, Atomenergomash, CCBA Oil Pipelines, Zvedochka, Alstom Atomenergomash, Central Design Bureau of Machine Building and NIIEFA Institute of Electrophysical Equipment.

(Sourced from www.yorkshirepost.co.uk)