ArcelorMittal to close warehouse in Germany due to falling demand

ArcelorMittal Stahlhandel Deutschland, the German distribution arm of global steelmaker ArcelorMittal, has announced its intention to close its warehouse in Olpe, located in the Siegerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia. The decision is due to weak market conditions and declining demand in the region, Kallanish reports.

The decision, which was announced to 63 warehouse employees at a meeting last Tuesday, is to be implemented by mid-2025. ArcelorMittal explains that the market in South Westphalia is in a state of structural decline, with sales down 30% since 2017.

This announcement is another blow to the Siegerland/South Westphalia region. A month ago, Thyssenkrupp announced the closure of its plant in Kreuztal, which will also lead to several hundred job cuts.

Olpe and Kreuztal are located northwest of Siegen, a region that was once a center of steelmaking due to its significant iron ore reserves. Despite the downturn in the steel industry, a number of large enterprises such as Deutsche Edelstahlwerke and BGH still operate here. However, the geographical location of the region has become a disadvantage due to its dependence on road transportation and the closure of outdated bridges, which complicates logistics.

As GMK Center reported earlier, ArcelorMittal is considering closing two service centers in Reims and Denis (France) as part of the restructuring of its Centres de Services business. This decision may affect 130 jobs and has caused a negative reaction from trade unions.