“Bruks and Siwertell are two strong brands that complement each other very well, both in terms of product portfolio and market coverage,” says Per Karlsson, Siwertell President. “Siwertell will benefit from Bruks’ strong position in the US market, whereas Bruks will gain access to Siwertell’s Asian network, knowledge and exposure. “I am delighted with the progress and opportunities that it is already offering our customers and our wider organization,” he adds. The joint venture between Bruks and Siwertell offers customers unprecedented access to a portfolio of products for complete dry bulk terminal solutions of any type. “Our merged capacity has created a diverse strategy that will see us continue to focus on developing specialized solutions for customers,” continues Mr Jonsson. “For example, we plan to grow our sea terminal business by providing the most comprehensive range of equipment that these specialist terminals require.”
Growth in Asia “Our new business arrangements are already paying off in Asian markets,” notes Mr Jonsson. “Prior to the merger,
the Bruks US group was focused on exports, substantially supporting wood pellet producers by exporting their products, whereas Siwertell was very involved in the import side, supplying the equipment to offload the pellets coming into Europe. “Now that we are one unit, we are capitalizing on both sides of the spectrum in the Asian market,” he explains. “We have several large utilities in Asia asking for our help on the unloading side. The close relationship that we have with customers in the US has meant that we have been able to introduce them to these utilities in Asia. In some cases, the US pellet manufacturers were unaware of these opportunities. We have brought them to the table, informing them that a particular utility is looking to import millions of tons of wood pellets. If they are not talking to each other, we offer to make the introductions.”
Booming biomass markets “Although the number of large-scale wood pellet industry projects varies from year to year, the wood pellet market remains an important and significant part of Bruks Siwertell’s business,” says Mr Jonsson.
Bulk Handling News 7