Sumitomo Pipe & Tube’s US Operation Steadily Recovers

Sumitomo Pipe & Tubes’ subsidiary in USA, Seymour Tubing enhances competitive power at Indiana plant in Indiana to meet recovering demand. Seymour Tubing produces and sells welded steel tube, stainless steel tube and cold drawn steel tube mainly for automobiles.

The demand of automotive mechanical steel tube decreased significantly due to world economy downturn. Seymour Tubing suspended Dunlap plant in Tennessee at the end of September 2009 and integrated the production to Indiana plant. The operation has gradually increased along output recovery of Japanese and US automakers, including BIG3. Indiana plant is currently in almost full production.

The firm tries to improve productivity of the plant and transfer some equipment to Indiana plant from Dunlap plant in order to meet strong demand. Seymour Tubing’s output is expected to increase in 2010 from the previous year. The firm’s operating profit in 2010 would also improve from 199 million yen in 2009.