Ceratizit acquires remaining shares in Stadler Metalle

Ceratizit S.A. will take over the remaining 50% of shares in Stadler Metalle GmbH & Co. KG, becoming the sole owner of the company, which specializes in trading and processing secondary raw materials. For Ceratizit, which belongs to the Austrian Plansee Group, Stadler Metalle is already the most important supplier of secondary raw materials to produce tungsten and tungsten carbide powders.

For the Ceratizit Group, the investment in Stadler at the beginning of 2019 was an important step, as Executive Board Spokesman Andreas Lackner explains: “Stadler Metalle has become an important building block in our raw material supply chain over the past three years and has helped us to become independent of raw materials from China and crisis regions.” The Group is now drawing its supply of primary raw materials exclusively from certified western mines.

The use of secondary raw materials from recycling not only helps to secure the supply chain, it’s also sustainable: 83% of raw materials come from recycling.

“The recycling of used cemented carbide requires 75% less energy than the processing of ore. In addition, the detrimental effects on nature of intensive mining are avoided,” Lackner adds.

The current Managing Director and founder of Stadler Metalle, Gabriele Stadler, will retire together with her husband, Hubert Stadler.

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to Mrs. Stadler and Mr. Stadler. They have led and developed the company very successfully over the years and helped to facilitate a smooth integration into the Ceratizit Group,” says Executive Board Member Melissa Albeck.

Thomas Wenger will take over the management of Stadler. He has already been working in purchasing and sales at Stadler Metalle since 2010 and had previously worked for 10 years in strategic purchasing at two other companies in the tungsten industry.

Both sides have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.