Who we are

When Mittal Steel and Arcelor merged in 2006 to form the world’s largest steel company, the newly formed ArcelorMittal was founded on three values: sustainability, quality and leadership.

Sustainability, because we are guiding the evolution of steel to secure the best future for the industry and for generations to come.

Quality, because we want the steel we produce to be at the cutting edge of technology; and because we need the best people to deliver on our goals.

Leadership, because we are proud of our entrepreneurial spirit and the opportunities that visionary thinking can bring to the company.

What we stand for

These three values, together with our operating philosophy of producing safe, sustainable steel, have guided ArcelorMittal through its first five years of operations.

This philosophy also encompasses our company-wide priority, health and safety, and our Journey to Zero campaign, and I am pleased to say that we have made major progress in our goal of improving health and safety at ArcelorMittal.

As well as pursuing this priority, we also set ourselves the challenge of ‘transforming tomorrow’, a promise that reflects our belief that steel is helping to build the infrastructure of the modern world. As an infinitely recyclable material that is highly adaptable, steel can be a sustainable material that is part of modern life, from providing steel for the trains and cars used in the daily journey to work, to being used in the buildings we live in and the sports stadiums and art galleries we visit.

Strategy

ArcelorMittal has pursued a consistent, three-dimensional business strategy over a number of years focusing on product diversity, geographic reach and diversification – both upstream in the production of iron ore and coal and downstream in steel distribution.

This means that we value scale, with our steel and mining operations spread across all regions of the world. A unique, diversified global business model is one of our key strengths.

Having an industrial presence in 20 countries exposes the company to all the key steel markets, both emerging and mature. Around 35% of our steel is produced in the Americas, 47% in Europe and 18% in countries including Kazakhstan, South Africa and Ukraine.

Product diversity is also important to us: just over a third (34%) of our steel is finished products, 28% are speciality products, 27% are value-added and 11% semi-finished.

And having an integrated steel and mining company means we can secure supplies of iron ore and become largely self-sufficient.

A successful future

The continued success of ArcelorMittal relies on five things: people and safety; capital; knowledge; growth; and mining.

As people are our most valuable asset, their health and safety is of primary importance and we are recognising that through the investments being made in our Journey to Zero campaign.

Capital is a precious resource, so maintaining the post-crisis, strengthened foundation we have in our balance sheet is a priority.

Linked to capital is growth. Our presence in emerging markets is a major competitive advantage. We are already the largest steel producer in Latin America, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe, and we have identified Brazil and India as major growth markets.

Growth will also come from our mining business. We have a strong portfolio, and aim to continue investing in and expanding our mining assets. We have set an annual target of 100 million tonnes of iron ore by 2015.

Our global presence fuels our knowledge base, which in turn gives us the opportunity to continuously improve and innovate in the products we offer.

Looking ahead, we will continue to be guided by our values. But crucially, we also are driven by a real passion for steel and the role it has to play in modern life. This passion has helped us on the journey the company has taken so far, and it will also help to ensure we remain the world’s largest and most successful steel company.

As a steel and mining company, our employees and contractors work in potentially dangerous environments every day, and our single most important priority is to ensure their safety. In our everyday work, we strive to live our philosophy of making only safe, sustainable steel. Our operations around the world are prioritising health and safety, with a number of plants having set an impressive lead for the rest to follow.

“Health and safety is, and has to be, embedded deeply into the foundation of everything we do, not because we are forced to comply, but because we believe that is the right way to do things. It is an integral component to each of our three existing values – sustainability, quality and leadership.”

Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal

In September 2008, ArcelorMittal launched Journey to Zero, a comprehensive health and safety programme to achieve zero fatalities, accidents and occupational illnesses. As part of this programme, we are using better systems to share best practices in safety among our sites, to use advanced safety indicators, and to work to ensure that our fatality prevention standards are followed at all times. We also signed a global agreement on occupational health and safety with trade unions, setting a precedent in the industry.

We do, however, realise that the success of any of these measures depends on employees’ commitment to our safety goals, and we have launched a number of initiatives to cultivate a shared sense of responsibility. For example, we have defined clearly how every employee can contribute to a safer workplace with our 10 golden rules of safety.

Ten golden rules of safety

Our efforts in the Journey to Zero have led to an improved safety performance, reducing our lost time injury frequency (LTIF) rate from 2.50 per million hours worked in 2008 to just below 1 in 2012. We had set ourselves a target of having a LTIF rate of less than one by 2013, and are very proud to have reached it. With improvements both on the mining and steel sides of our business, we are on the right path to maintain this rate.

We are committed to refining our approach to achieve results better and faster, and health and safety is one of five key components of our leadership strategy in the post-economic crisis climate.

At our global health and safety summit in early 2011, CEOs and other company leaders together identified the challenges we face, how best to solve them and how to replicate the success of some sites across the company. The critical message that our leaders took from the summit was that we have to create a culture in which every employee is proactive about and responsible for health and safety. The examples that we have seen from around the world show that we are making good progress on our journey to zero, but that there is no room for complacency in making sure all employees are safe and healthy. The follow-up seminar in December 2011 helped us to measure progress and introduce new ideas.

“We have the challenge of embedding safety more firmly into our individual and collective behaviour, into our contractors’ behaviour, and into every aspect of our mining activities. We need to change the DNA of our health and safety culture.”

Peter Kukielski, head of mining

At ArcelorMittal, we are passionate about steel. So when the chance arose to provide the steel for a major new landmark for east London, we took it – and ensured that the best architects, engineers and project managers got involved too.

Steel is such a part of modern life that it can often go unnoticed, in the car you drive or the washing machine that does the family’s laundry. We saw the prospect of using steel in a landmark for the London 2012 Olympic Park, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, as a chance to celebrate steel’s beauty, strength and versatility.

The story of the ArcelorMittal Orbit is one of collaboration and innovation. In March 2010, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and chief executive of ArcelorMittal, unveiled plans for the ArcelorMittal Orbit, designed by artist Anish Kapoor and structural engineer and architect Cecil Balmond.

The design was the winning entry to a competition launched by Mr Johnson to create “something extra” to celebrate London 2012, which would "arouse the curiosity and wonder of Londoners and visitors".

As Mr Balmond said when the design was unveiled, London’s newest landmark was destined to be made from steel: “The ArcelorMittal Orbit could really only be built in steel, to give the minimum thicknesses and the maximum strength,” he explained. “I didn’t really think of any other material.”

A chance meeting

ArcelorMittal’s involvement came about through a chance meeting between Mr Johnson and Mr Mittal at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2009.

“I think everyone in London wants to put on an amazing show for the world at the 2012 Olympic Games. So when Boris mentioned the idea of constructing a special piece of art to commemorate the Olympics, I was fascinated to know more, particularly when he said he wanted it to be built from steel,” said Mr Mittal.

Standing between the Olympic Stadium and Zaha Hadid’s Aquatics Centre, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is now a central feature of the Olympic Park, with the potential to attract up to 5,000 visitors a day.

The sculpture consists of a continuous loop lattice of tubular steel, which is 114.5m high. On a clear day it will be possible to see more than 20 miles into the distance from the viewing platforms, which are 80m above the park.

ArcelorMittal has embraced the global spirit of the Olympic Games by sourcing steel from its plants all around the world to build the sculpture. In line with the London 2012 Olympic vision of sustainability, 60% of the 2,000 tonnes of steel used in the project has been recycled from scrap. ArcelorMittal has funded £19m of the £23m project, with the remaining £4m provided by the London Development Agency.

“It is a fantastic way to give a lasting gift to London, to play a part in the regeneration of a specific area of London and to signal our support for an iconic global sporting event,” said Mr Mittal. ArcelorMittal is a tier-two sponsor and official steel supporter of the Olympic Games.

Building a huge steel structure to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games is a great opportunity for ArcelorMittal to showcase the unique qualities of steel – and to share our passion for steel with the world.

Combining aesthetics and mechanics, it is used by architects, engineers and designers around the world. And steel is set to play an even bigger role in the future, as sustainability and environmental stewardship climb up the agenda for governments, companies and consumers, partly because steel is 100% recyclable.

ArcelorMittal is the biggest recycler of this scrap metal in the world, and we continue to innovate, to create greener products and processes as part of our commitment to safe, sustainable steel.

The material of choice

The strength and durability of steel is what makes it the construction material of choice. Iconic landmarks that use our innovative high-strength Histar® steel include the Hearst Tower in New York, the World Financial Center in Shanghai and the Emirates Tower in Dubai, as well as New York’s One World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower.

We have also been involved in more unusual construction projects, such as the design of the Princess Elisabeth polar research centre in Antarctica. In South Africa, we have rolled out a modular construction system of low-cost steel housing called Protea. The standardised components are prefabricated in factories, with assembly on site taking just four days.

The many different uses of steel in the construction industry show just how versatile a product it is – which is part of the reason why it is the material of choice for the industry.

ArcelorMittal Construction is the world leader in constructive steel for the envelope (cladding, roofing) and structure (floors, secondary framework) of buildings.

Keeping the world moving

Our steel also helps to keep the world moving. ArcelorMittal’s steel plate is used in shipbuilding around the globe, and one in four cars uses it. S-in Motion lightweight steel is helping to reduce the weight of cars, while maintaining their strength and safety.

We are also playing a big role in the Spanish rail renaissance. Ambitious investment plans by the country’s high-speed train company AVE – Alta Velocidad Española – means that Spain’s rail network will quadruple to 10,000km by 2020. ArcelorMittal Asturias’ Gijón mill has rolled almost every piece of rail for the project, and expects to continue supplying this as the project continues up to 2020.

Green energy generation

ArcelorMittal’s steel is also being used to boost alternative forms of power generation. One in three wind turbines uses it, and our research centres are working on new techniques that would allow turbines to be installed on towers that are more than 100 metres high, therefore increasing energy generation. We are also active in the development of solar and photovoltaic panels, such as our award-winning Arsolar PV system.

Steel in sculptures

We are proud to sponsor Britain's largest piece of public art, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, which will be a permanent legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 115-metre sculpture, designed by Anish Kapoor in collaboration with engineer Cecil Balmond, is at the Olympic site in Stratford, east London.

We also support renowned sculptor Richard Serra, who became fascinated with steel after working in a steel factory when he was young. For many years he worked with ArcelorMittal in Germany to build his bold spirit sculptures. In 2005, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao offered him space for a permanent exhibition of his work and, as ArcelorMittal was a patron of the museum, we sponsored his exhibition. To produce his monumental sculptures he used one of our rolling mills in Germany. Richard has shown how steel can be beautiful and artistic and we are very proud of our collaboration.

Our investment in Liberia’s mining and transport infrastructure is helping Liberia to rebuild its economy after years of civil war. Our stakeholder engagement programmes are allowing communities in Brazil to influence the development of their local plant, while our investment in steel production is helping to reverse the fortunes of the city of Temirtau, in Kazakhstan, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Liberia mines again

“Government cannot, by itself, achieve the vision for Liberia that is enshrined in our poverty reduction strategy. We need the participation of the private sector – one that will bring in sustainable investment and promote good corporate citizenship.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia

ArcelorMittal’s revitalisation of Liberia’s mining industry shows how responsible and transparent business practices and investment can bring long-term economic and social benefits to an emerging market.

The small nation of Liberia, on the west coast of Africa, was devastated by two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, during which time its economy and infrastructure were destroyed, creating a serious challenge to the post-war government to rebuild the country and create jobs for the unemployed – the vast majority of the working population.

The new Liberian government was keen to ensure that the country’s natural resources were used to provide direct and tangible benefits to Liberians. Attracting responsible foreign investment was deemed vital for urgent reconstruction and long-term development – and it was against this backdrop that ArcelorMittal entered the country.

Prior to the wars, Liberia was a major exporter of iron ore; ArcelorMittal’s investment focused on rebuilding the country’s mining and exporting industry.

In 2005, ArcelorMittal signed a Mineral Development Agreement with the Liberian government in which we committed to strengthening the country’s mining industry and transport system and investing heavily in its social infrastructure, such as schools and health clinics.

The project saw the reopening of abandoned mines in the Nimba mountains at Tokadeh, Gangra and Yuelliton. The 240km of abandoned railway running through Nimba, Bong and Grand Bassa to the port in the coastal town of Buchanan was refurbished, with bridges and service roads rehabilitated. Road networks were also improved, with 150km-200km of new roads built along the railway corridor. In Buchanan, the port was redeveloped to make it suitable for international shipping, which involved strengthening the iron ore quay and dredging the harbour.

Thousands of jobs created

Since 2006, ArcelorMittal Liberia has provided nearly 500 jobs directly, as well as created indirect employment for 2,100 Liberians through foreign and Liberian-owned contractors.

In 2011, the first shipments of iron ore left our mines near Yekepa – the first time ore had been mined in the country for 20 years. From 2012 onwards, the aim is to export 4m tonnes of ore a year.

Social and environmental impacts are far-reaching in a country where other opportunities are scarce. Using international codes of best practice has enabled us to deal with these issues effectively and transparently. The Corporate Responsibility Forum for Liberia, which ArcelorMittal set up in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) – the German government’s international development body – promotes effective corporate citizenship and good business practice among domestic Liberian companies and other multinationals planning to invest in the country. Our company is also a member of the multi-stakeholders steering group of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Joseph Mathews, then CEO of ArcelorMittal Liberia, says: “By leading the creation of the Corporate Responsibility Forum in Liberia, ArcelorMittal, together with other major companies here, has signalled that the private sector is now able to play its part in driving the development agenda. This forum is an opportunity to share best practices and in doing so, strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises and help create an entrepreneurial class.”