Nippon Steel & Sumikin Welding Aims 4% Higher Shipment in F2008

Japanese major wielding material maker, Nippon Steel & Sumikin Welding expects its welding material shipment would be around 110,000 tonnes in fiscal 2007 ending March 2008, and would increase by 4% to 114,000 tonnes in F2008 compared with F2007. Shipment is expected to increase gradually toward the last half of F2008. The firm aims higher shipment with its new production line for seamless flax cored wire under strong demand from automobile, shipbuilding or construction machinery.Koichi Nakamura, president of Nippon Steel & Sumikin Welding, said its recurring profit is expected to represent year-on-year growth in F2007 compared with record 1.88 billion yen in F2006. He expects the sales would exceed 29 billion yen and the recurring profit would exceed 2.2 billion yen in F2008 since merger of Nippon Steel Welding is scheduled in April which produces plasma welding machine and metal tube optical fiber.Mr. Nakamura said the firm increase value added products with plasma welding and metal tube optical fiber technologies and then aims return on sales at 10% in mid term.