Mergers & acquisitions secure market position

In 1974 the Gazoldo degli Ippoliti establishment diversified the production range and complemented it by adding tubes made of hot-rolled strip. In 1978 the Group expanded its industrial activities by acquiring smaller companies. In 1982 the total number of employees had already reached 640. In those days the Group's second -largest site was founded in Casalmaggiore, with technologically advanced equipment made by Oto Mills of Boretto. This company would later play a key role in technical innovations at all the Group's production plants. By 1983 overall group turnover had risen to some EUR 175 million and the workforce exceeded 860 employees. In 1984 Metallurgica Marcegaglia, Ipas and Tubi Acciaio were merged into the new Marcegaglia Spa.

Intelligent diversification creates independence

Antonio Marcegaglia, Steno Marcegaglia's son, joined the company in 1987 having graduated in business studies at Milan's Luigi Bocconi University. Under his auspices, diversification and internationalisation of the Group continued, and continues, with the establishment and acquisition of a variety of businesses.
As an entrepreneur and manager he forged an indissoluble bond between his personal career and the growth of the fine mid-sized Italian company of those days, transforming it into today's major global player.

Antonio Marcegaglia soon realised that diversification would provide a broader basis for the Marcegaglia group. He therefore led the family business into the sectors of metal household goods, insulating panels, scaffolding, storage systems, road barriers and metal components for the electrical appliance industry.
He also founded the Euro Energy Group and later Green Power.

The major manufacturing site in Ravenna, Italy's second-largest iron and steel centre was inaugurated
in December 2001 following investment of over EUR 500 million in just a few years.
This was followed in 2002 by the Group's second -largest production plant in the south, after Potenza,
in the former Belleli area in Taranto.

These diversification activities were complemented by an acquisition in the tourism sector.
Antonio Marcegaglia bought the holiday resort of Pugnochiuso, situated on the Gargano promontory
in Puglia.

Antonio Marcegaglia therefore gradually strengthened the Group's domestic basis always bearing in mind that intelligent diversification of the family owned business would yield benefits not only
for the Marcegaglia Group and its employees but also for the region and the country.

Success breeds success

Soon after he had joined the family business, Antonio Marcegaglia launched the Group's internationalisation policy with the aim of extending its presence and strengthening its position in international markets. His policy not only focused on European markets, but from the very beginning also
on transatlantic markets.
Marcegaglia Deutschland was established in 1989 for the distribution of the Group's own products in the German market and in Scandinavia. United Stainless Steel was also created, followed by Marcegaglia U.K.
in Dudley, in the West Midlands, for the production of welded tubes from hot and cold rolled strip.

After intensive preparation, in 1991 Antonio Marcegaglia launched the project which enabled the Group to enter transatlantic markets. In the US, both the new Bishop Tube of Philadelphia and Damascus of Greenville were acquired. These two major production units later formed the Damascus-Bishop Tube Company specialising in the production of stainless steel.

In 1993 Antonio Marcegaglia acquired the Belgian Cotubel Group, a distributor of stainless steel products and tubes in France and the Benelux nations, and founded the trading company Central Bright Steel for the distribution of welded tubes in the UK.

In summer 1998, a large industrial area in Munhall, near Pittsburgh, was acquired to accommodate the new Marcegaglia USA also incorporating the Damascus-Bishop Tube Company.

Two further companies were created in the United States as subsidiaries of the parent companies in Italy: Oskar USA in Birmingham (Alabama) and Oto Mills USA in Wheaton (Illinois).

In 1999 Antonio Marcegaglia's entrepreneurial spirit led to the incorporation of Marcegaglia Iberica, Marcegaglia Ireland, Marcegaglia France, Marcegaglia Austria and Marcegaglia do Brasil. Meanwhile in Bremen, the first Marcegaglia company was formed jointly with the Arbed Group in order to produce quality steel. The Group then acquired Earcanal of Leioa, Spain in 2000, while   Oto Mills do Brasil was founded in Sao Paulo in 2004.

Antonio Marcegaglia continued expanding the Group's overseas activities. Marcegaglia do Brasil was enlarged, and in June 2005 Antonio Marcegaglia opened its fourth foreign production plant in Praszka, Poland. This was joined, one year later, by the plant at Kluczbork, 20 kilometres away.
Marcegaglia then established Marcegaglia Gulf at Doha, Qatar in 2007.

Another highlight was the opening of the Group's first Asian plant for the production of stainless steel tubes and high-precision carbon steel in 2008 in Yangzhou, China.
Antonio Marcegaglia further extended the group's industrial activities by establishing Marcegaglia Romania at Cluj and by starting production at the new plant in Vladimir, Russia.

Marcegaglia - an active source of inspiration

Marcegaglia celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.
Amongst other things, Antonio Marcegaglia promoted a contemporary art exhibition to mark the occasion, demonstrating his passion for the arts and culture and his dedication to the values that helped form Marcegaglia - a global player in many respects.

"Steellife is an art project that, by celebrating steel as a living, versatile and fascinating material,
actually celebrates a life - simultaneously human and entrepreneurial - which has always been passionate about steel and the ability to give shape to it.
This is why, on its 50th anniversary Marcegaglia has chosen to promote a contemporary art exhibition in an innovative way. Marcegaglia put all the actors from the manufacturing sector - the company itself with its intellectual and material resources, its specialized suppliers and the expertise of the craft shops - together with some brilliant young contemporary artists from all over the world.

The key factor in this experience was the opportunity to share the prime values in Marcegaglia's enterprise culture with some young artists, e.g.:

· a clear "vision", aiming to achieve important goals;

· a "passion" for steel, and fathoming all its potential;

· the "creativity" Marcegaglia exploits when facing new challenges, which leads to innovation;

· its "international presence", as a quest for knowledge bringing further growth opportunities;

· the "central role" of human resources and their inherent capacities as a key factor to success.

Marcegaglia has chosen to be not merely a promoter, but also an active source of inspiration and a frontline player in this project. "

--------------------------

Antonio Marcegaglia paving the road to success.