By Bernadette Hogg and Emanuele Berro
(Reuters) -No decision has been made yet on the future of steel processing firm Huettenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM), jointly owned by Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, Salzgitter and Vallourec, Salzgitter’s finance chief Birgit Potrafki said on Monday.
In February, Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe said investor CE Capital Partners had broken off talks about a potential purchase of HKM and that it believed the firm would have to be shuttered if no buyer was found.
Salzgitter CEO Gunnar Groebler had in August said the company hoped to clarify its position on HKM’s possible closure by the end of September.
“We are still evaluating and deciding about various options that are on the table,” Potrafki said in a post-earnings call with analysts.
Thyssenkrupp owns 50% of the shares in HKM, with Salzgitter holding 30% and Vallourec 20%.
German metalworkers union IG Metall in April threatened strikes at HKM after Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe cancelled its delivery contract with the venture, threatening jobs.
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe’s obligation to buy 2.5 million tonnes of steel per year from HKM is set to run out at the end of 2032 at the latest. HKM employs around 3,000 people.
(Reporting by Bernadette Hogg and Emanuele Berro in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
