In 1935 Nikopol Yuzhnotrubniy Plant (NYTP) was erected as the largest tube production facility in Europe, on a land area of 512 hectares comprising 61 structural divisions. NYTP produced around 1 million tons of tubes annually with an assortment of 400 steel grades and 140,000 standard sizes. In 1959, two new shops came into operation, both dedicated to the production of precision tubes from stainless steel grades and alloys for the requirements of the chemical industry, boiler-building, aircraft construction, shipbuilding and other industries. Based on new equipment for the production of electro-polished,thin-walled and general tubes, this industry was highly awarded for its efficiency, quality and constantly increasing tube production volumes. Within a short period of time, the production of tubes from more than 50 different special steels was mastered. Work with newly installed equipment allowed the shop to gradually increase the production volumes and widen the assortment. Between 1986 — 1989, the maximum production of 51 — 52.5 thousand tons was achieved.
Privatisation phase
NSTM was one of the seven pipe producing companies of the largest stainless producer Yuzhnotrubniy Plant in the former USSR. In 2000, the Dnepropetrovsk stainless steel trading company UVIS Ltd., which was founded in 1991, suggested privatisation of the stainless steel pipe facilities. The project was considered as the best solution in order to successfully maintain the production plant. In the same year, UVIS became the main shareholders of the Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) Nikopol Stainless Tube Mill. The new enterprise comprises the hot-extrusion shop No. 4 and the cold-drawing shop No.2 of the former Nikopol Yuzhnotrubniy plant.
Business Transformation
Emerging players in the commodity business are currently entering the global markets with aggressive price-based strategies. Centravis is therefore making big investments into equipment, technology and employee training in order to grow into technology-orientated production processes for Western European and US customers. Being positioned between Western market leaders and emerging low cost producers, Centravis can play a decisive role in value-added segments, as well as the general boiler tube and pipe segment and is sustaining the position in commodity business. Acceptable lead times due to our high versatility and short delivery intervals based on the advantageous geographical location of the company have been one of the main success factors for the ongoing and immense growth of the company.
