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The idea of building an iron and steel plant strategically close to raw materials and the subsequent establishment of ‘Società Miniere di Cogne’  was the brainchild of Belgian entrepreneur Charles van der Straten Pontoz in the early 20th century.

 

Pio Perrone was responsible for the development of the Aostan electro-steel project. His vision and tenacity and the skills of Italian and Swedish technicians paved the way for a unique electric steelworks, fuelled by magnetite from Cogne and by the electricity produced in the Aymavilles, Chavonne and Champagne power stations. This all took place as the First World War ravaged through Europe.

 

During the 1970s and 1980s, Cogne was not immune to the difficulties faced by the state steel sector and was subject to the liquidation of Egam and Finsider to be finally positioned in the Ilva group.

In the years that followed, most industrialised countries had to make drastic capacity reductions in the cast iron and steel sector. An oversupply was countered by a contraction in consumption due to the emergence of new products and new producers in the Far East.

 

Ilva, Italy's largest producer, faced the rationalisation process that involved gradual downsizing,  all achieved at the very real cost of heavy restructuring and plant closures. At the beginning of the 1990s, Ilva began focussing its activities on its core business: flat steel production.  Consequently, Cogne risked closure as it was no longer part of the Ilva group's strategic plans.

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History took another turn on 1 January 1994, when Cogne Acciai Speciali was acquired by private entrepreneurs, who planned and completed extensive industrial restructuring and subsequent relaunch. In recent years, an ambitious reorganisation programme of the company has been successfully carried out, with major plant and commercial investments.

Cogne Acciai Speciali is committed to the following consolidation and re-launch plan :

  • reducing product cost;

  • maintaining high level quality;

  • improving commercial effectiveness;

  • developing  know-how,

  • improving customer service;

  • safeguarding and implementing top product specialisation,

  • changing company culture by supporting a more competitive and evolving market approach.

Today, Cogne Acciai Speciali is  a world-class leader in the production of stainless steel.  

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