Severfield-Rowen opens Indian venture

STRUCTURAL steel firm Severfield-Rowen opens its new Indian joint venture today after announcing a £7m growth in its UK order book since the end of August.

Thirsk-based Severfield-Rowen is opening the plant in Bellary, in Karnataka State, which already has orders for fabricated steelwork and other products worth £10m.

A linked joint venture to design, manufacture and install metal deck flooring also opens today and the company said it was close to concluding contracts for further orders.

The company’s UK order book has grown by £7m to £251m which will provide work for all four of its British operations until spring next year and in some cases beyond that.

However, it warned that demand and prices in the UK “remain depressed” with “a glimmer of recovery foreseen for some key sectors in early 2012”.

It said: “The company remains well positioned for the challenging market conditions through the next 12 months in the UK, and looks forward to operating and growing its joint venture in India, where the opportunity in its target sectors is abundant.”