Tata Steel Ltd.

Tata Steel has acquired two service centres from Sweden's SSAB and 50 per cent of a third service centre in which Tata already owned 50 per cent. The addition of these service-oriented operations provides an excellent fit with Tata Steel's existing business, given its focus on supplying customers with the increasingly innovative products and services they need to be competitive.

Tata Steel has acquired SSAB's strip products service centres in Halmstad, Sweden and Naantali, Finland, as well as the remaining 50 per cent stake in Norsk Stal Tynnplater AS, another strip products service centre based in Frederikstad, Norway. Together the three businesses employ about 180 people.

The service centres offer cutting-to-length, slitting and recoiling services to customers in the automotive, electrical supplies and construction industries, as well as in heavy and light engineering. The acquisitions follow approval from the national competition authorities. SSAB has sold the businesses as a condition of its takeover of Rautaruukki.