Sestava 1 - ArcelorMittal Ostrava as

September
2014
Half-year results show improved steel margins
“As we enter the second half of 2014, I ask each of you to think about how you can
contribute to improving operational reliability” – Mr Mittal.
Sophie Evans
[email protected]
On 1 August, ArcelorMittal announced its second quarter, and half-year results for 2014, with
a message that the results reflect the anticipated improvement in steel shipments and margins.
However, increased iron ore shipments were offset by the lower than anticipated iron ore price,
which has led to the revision of Ebitda guidance for the full year from approximately US$8bn, to
more than US$7bn.
In terms of health and safety, the lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) improved year-on-year,
but deteriorated quarter-on-quarter, the second consecutive deterioration in LTIFR performance.
“We have to be concerned by a deterioration of even 0.01, because this will not take us to zero.
However I am pleased to see that this trend has already started to improve and the LTIFR for May
and June was 0.76. I hope we can continue with this positive momentum. Tragically, this year we
have already suffered ten fatalities: four less than in the first seven months of last year, but ten
too many”, Mr Mittal wrote in his 1 August letter to all employees.
“My message to you is consistent. We know the causes of injuries and fatalities and there are
many elements we have to continue working on: better processes, procedures, training, leadership,
awareness, shared vigilance and continuous participation by all. I hope next quarter we will see
improvement again: this is our most important target”, he continued.
First net income in two years
The financial results for the second quarter of 2014 reflect the anticipated improvement in steel
shipments and margins that supported an underlying 9% Ebitda improvement, to US$1.8bn.
Encouragingly, we also reported a return to positive net income for the first time in two years. Net
debt reduced to US$17.4bn.
Mr Mittal highlighted the performance of two parts of the business in particular, in his letter to
all employees:
“In Europe, Ebitda improved by 28.8%, to US$689m, compared with the previous three months,
reflecting the higher shipment volumes as a result of the improved market conditions as well as
the benefits of the region’s significant cost optimisation efforts.
In ACIS, Ebitda increased to US$156m compared with US$109m in the previous quarter, due to
an improved production, shipments and sales performance in the CIS countries. With a turnaround
in the ACIS business a key objective for 2014, I am pleased to be able to report this improved
performance, although this was offset by weak economic growth and planned maintenance in
South Africa.”
However the results reflect the ongoing impact of the severe weather experienced in North
America at the beginning of this year and the lower than anticipated iron ore price. In the US the
severe weather is now behind us and the focus for the US business is now to capture the
opportunities from the growing US economy: ArcelorMittal is expecting 5-6% growth in US
apparent steel consumption compared with our 3.5-4.5% forecast made earlier this year, when
the economy had contracted sharply.
Although our mining shipments grew as anticipated, with record iron ore production of
16.6 million tonnes and market-priced shipments of 10.5 million tonnes, results for the quarter
were impacted by the lower iron ore price. Our company has revised the forecast for the average
iron ore price for 2014 down to US$105 per tonne from US$120 per tonne, with Ebitda for the
year now expected to be in excess of US$7bn.
“While we have been factoring in the lower iron ore price into our strategy for a considerable
period of time, the sharp drop in prices came slightly earlier than expected. However, our strategy
and priorities remain the same. Moreover, we must make the most of the opportunities in the
improving steel business”, said Mr Mittal.
Mr Mittal also revisited the company’s our five group-wide priorities that apply to each and
every one of us, to complement the business priorities that each segment has to follow. These
priorities are:
• Health and safety
• Executing our business plans to improve profitability
• Focus on the competition
• Employee engagement
• External stakeholder engagement
“I would like to focus today on the second priority, of executing our business plans to improve
profitability. Within this priority, the focus should be on costs, higher utilisation rates and growing
volumes. In terms of markets – whether geographical or by industry – our focus should be on
those markets with a favourable structure and outlook, where we can grow”, said Mr Mittal.
If we are to achieve improved profitability, the many operational issues that have impacted on
the company’s performance in 2014 must not be repeated. A renewed focus on reliability,
maintenance and operational excellence is very important, to capture market growth
opportunities. On 1 August we announced that the NAFTA segment’s steel production decreased
in Q2 2014 by 1.7%. While some of this decrease was anticipated due to the blast furnace reline
in Indiana Harbor, there was also unplanned maintenance downtime in Cleveland that impacted
performance. “This is just one example of a number of instances of unplanned maintenance across
the group that continue to affect our reliability, and our ability to beat the competition and be the
supplier of choice” concluded Mr Mittal.
Box-out [note to designers – use larger font to highlight this information]
Health and safety: lost time injury frequency rate of 0.87 compared with 0.9 in Q2 2013
Ebitda of US$1.8bn, a 9% improvement compared with Q2 2013, on an underlying basis
Net income of US$0.1bn in Q2 2014 compared with a net loss of US$0.8bn in 2Q 2013
Steel shipments of 21.5 million tonnes, an increase of 2.5% compared with Q2 2013
Iron ore production of 16.6 million tonnes compared with 15 million tonnes in Q2 2013
Net debt of US$17.4bn as of 30 June, a decrease of US$1.1bn during the quarter
I was lagging behind in sports, I gave
up. So I would be happy to see as many
of you as possible to try and quit
because smoking does have very
negative effects on your health. I know
from my own experience that it is not
easy, but I would still encourage you to
give it a try and I can assure you at the
end of this difficult journey you will be
happy to have given up smoking.
Drop by drop, you make an ocean - solidarity holidays 2014
As the end of a journey that began on 7 March this year (with the announcement of the
90 ArcelorMittal employees who would be taking part in this year’s solidarity holidays)
draws closer, we travel from Vanderbijlpark to Vitoria to learn how the lives of our
colleagues, and of the communities they helped, are changed forever.
I must appreciate that our production
performance is improving but we have
a long way to go in improving the
reliability of our assets. The number of
average heats per day has increased
and I hope we will reach our target very
soon. I would like to thank all those who
are involved in increasing our
production by de-bottlenecking
existing assets.. Regarding the sales,
the figures are also positive and our
mills are fully loaded. We must do our
best to fully satisfy the customers since
they are the most important factor for
our companyęs sustainability and
profitability. Moreover, we are still able
to win new customers, which is also
a good indicator about the companyęs
performance.
Tuhina Chugh
[email protected]
This year marked the third year of our company’s highly successful ‘solidarity holidays’. To date,
around 200 colleagues have taken part in 25 projects in 20 countries. This year, groups of ten
volunteers travelled to one of nine ArcelorMittal locations chosen: Argentina; Bosnia and
Herzegovina; Brazil; Kazakhstan; Liberia; Mexico; Poland; Romania and South Africa.
Raj Mandamparambil, community investment officer at ArcelorMittal, sums up the holidays:
ìThe solidarity holidays are like a dream come true for our employees who sacrifice a week of
their precious annual leave to offer their services, skill and knowledge to a community close to one
of our operatios, far away from their home. Although the collective strength offers a unique gift to
our host communities through various projects, it is our employees who go back with a feeling
that they got more than what they gave. The global friendships made through the solidarity
holidays have also helped many employees to see ArcelorMittal differently.î
Kicking off the season this year on 23 March was South Africa, where colleagues spent five days
near our Newcastle facility setting up six ProteaÆ homes for families who had all been affected by
HIV/ AIDS. ProteaÆ, created by our research and development (R&D) team, are low-cost, high
quality houses that have a well-insulated structure and are easily installed.
Transforming tomorrow with children
Perhaps the best known of our solidarity holidays – the ‘camp of children’s smiles’ in Prijedor,
Bosnia and Herzegovina – followed in April with our volunteers engaging with 100 school children
through sports and art, to promote inter-ethnic friendships. The project is co-organised by
ArcelorMittal Prijedor and local NGO ‘DON’.
“I have learned during the solidarity holidays that the secret is to make others happy,” shared
Saul Peñuñuri, a volunteer from ArcelorMittal Mexico.
The solidarity holidays in Liberia, Poland and Romania also centred their efforts on children and
education. In Liberia, colleagues helped complete construction on a school for 300 children in Big
Joe town, close to our port in Buchanan. An ophthalmologist and an optometrist from one of the
best clinics in Europe also joined our volunteers to offer communities free eye tests and free
prescription glasses, where needed.
Jeff Aultman from our Dofasco operations in Canada called his time in Liberia “an adventure that
has become a complete turning point in life”.
In Swietochlowice, Poland, volunteers contributed by helping build three mini-libraries in centres
for children who come from lower-income families and giving the kids a flavour of each of their
home countries through presentations.
In mid-July, the next group of volunteers travelled to Galati, Romania, where they hosted
a summer school on social entrepreneurship for high-school students. Our colleagues also spent
one day visiting local community projects supported by ArcelorMittal, and toured the steel plant.
This was similar to the solidarity holidays in Vitoria, Brazil, where a trip to Tubarão’s integrated
steelmaking facilities was part of the week that included activities such as the renovation of
a craft centre and helping with re-socialisation of the inmates at the Xuri prison,
At the most recent solidarity holiday, 75 colleagues joined local volunteers to rehabilitate the
Lázaro Cárdenas sports complex in Mexico – the first of a series of initiatives with which
ArcelorMittal Mexico will contribute manpower and a total of US$ 170,000 to the city.
As Daniela Colnaghi, a volunteer in South Africa, summed up: “Some may see our contribution as
only a drop of water in the ocean, but drop by drop you make a river and one day an ocean.”
PAGE 3
CEO’s message
Dear colleagues,
The month of September was as usual full of events which were important to our company. We
started the month by the Health Awareness Week organized from 1st – 7th September for employees
of ArcelorMittal Ostrava as well as its subsidiaries. I hope each of you was able to choose among the
numerous activities those that you enjoyed and also learned from them. The programme included first
aid courses, training in extinguishing combustible liquid and a stop-smoking lecture, but also some
sports activities as they are very important in keeping us fit. September 5th, for example, was
dedicated to football tournament, which I was also able to enjoy during a match between trade union
members and company management. Part of the Health Awareness Week was also the “Steel
Olympics”, which was followed by Childrenęs Day. This year, for a change, the teams were competing
in rather unusual disciplines, but I really enjoyed seeing how well you put up with them. I would like
to congratulate the 3 winning teams, but I must appreciate the efforts and dedication of all the
participants who gathered at the sports ground on a Saturday to contribute to the good results of
their teams. I am happy that the Health Awareness Week is so popular and as many as approximately
3000 of you take part in some way. I am also proud that the fact that ArcelorMittal Ostrava is taking
care of its employeesę health and fitness, has been appreciated and we have been awarded the title
of Ostravaęs most biking-friendly employer.
Another important step to our company is that we have decided to become a non-smoking
company from September 1st 2015. I hope that those of you who have not yet quit will now take the
opportunity to undergo a stop-smoking cure, which in case of a successful completion will be entirely
free of charge for you. I myself used to be a strong smoker, but when I found out that as a result,
In H&S area we have had 3 LTIęs
since the beginning of the year and
many near misses and medical
treatments. Statistically the biggest
number of injuries occurs from negligence, due to useless risk taking, routine or carelessness. What
makes me feel concerned is the increased number of positive drug and alcohol tests. We have no
tolerance for drinking and working as well as being on drugs while on the job. Because such a person
endangers not only themselves but also their colleagues so clearly a discharge follows which we
dislike to proceed to. If you are not 100% fit you better take a day-off and stay at home.
Last week our company had an important visitor. The Minister of Finance paid us a visit which was
for the very first time. Some of you had a chance to meet with him during the discussion at the new
DeSOx hall. I was happy to see that the debate was very lively and that you asked many, even
relevant questions. After that me and my management team introduced the company to the minister,
presented to him where we stand, presented our latest modernization projects and showed him how
much we have reduced our environmental footprint through massive environmental investments
At the end of September we will take part in the International Engineering Fair in Brno where we
will introduce our new product from the Medium Section Mill for the construction sector. This is yet
another step in our efforts to increase the portion of high value-added products. I think we all can
be proud of this achievement.
I wish you a very nice and sunny autumn.
Tapas Rajderkar
CEO and chairman of BoD, ArcelorMittal Ostrava
Improving environment at Steel plant
We asked Pavlína Lichá from Steel plant for her experience with WCM in terms of
improving environment at Steel plant.
What negative impact have you solved and what particularly did you manage to improve?
We were dealing with the repeating problem of the dangerous waste container area pollution.
We managed to set up rules to keep it tidy and come up with solution the pollution sources
elimination in existing containers.
What are the major benefits for your work when implementing WCM?
WCM tackles not only elimination of the undesirable state and setting up “normal” conditions
but also removing the cause of the problem and its further improvement.
How will you make use of the knowledge in your work?
I see many other opportunities for improvement at our plant in terms of the environment and
I would like to deal with them gradually along with my colleagues.
Ministr Babiš talked about future of our company
Minister of Finance and ANO chairman Andrej Babiš met with our employees on
Friday Sep 12.
First he talked to about 160 of our employees at the DeSox hall. They were primarily interested
in the current economic situation, energy prizes or possibilities of governmental support to
technological innovations in steelmaking. In a lively debate they tackled the issues of industry
regulation efficiency or future of manufacturing industry in Moravian-Silesian region.
Consequently, vice-chairman and minister of finance also met with the top management team of
ArcelorMittal Ostrava. He listened to a presentation on the mill during which he was given an
overview of the company’s development in recent years, on-going vast investment projects
focused on improving the environment the as well as modernisation of production and our power
plant.
PAGE 4
Winter Olympics and Family Day. We had a ball
Big credit for smooth organization goes to our Z1 team.
Every ArcelorMittal employee who donates blood or plasma for free during October will enter
a draw with a chance to win valuable prizes.
1st prize - 1 x safe driving programme at the Libros safe driving centre in Ostrava
2nd prize - 5 x season pass for ice hockey matches at HC Vítkovice Steel arena.
3rd prize - 15 x fancy cake from Ollies confectionary
All employees who hand in to their administrators a receipt of their blood donation by the end of
October will be entered into the draw.
Megaconcert
You can get tickets for a concessionary price of 129 CZK at Z1 department at
Headquarters, office No. 218 from 6.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.
Newly born babies….
Ondřej Palkovský – son of Petr Palkovský from Maintenance plant
Eliška Červencová – daughter of Čenka Července from Transport Plant
Ema Třečková – daughter of Kateřiny Třečkové Hajdůchové from Headquarters
Jiří Tvarůžka – son of Tomáš Tvarůžka from Project Coordination
Jakub Sklepek – son of Lukáš Sklepek from Headquarters
Rostislav Sitár – son of Rostislav Sitár from Hot strip mill
Congratulations to happy parents and good health to children.
PAGE 5
European contests: Ostrava gets back to the spotlight
The Ostrava’s projects after a longer time ranked at the top in the corporate contests of
Performance excellence Awards and LCE CI Challenge which assess projects focusing on cost
reduction, competitiveness improvement and technical innovation.
In CI Challenge 2014 our project of MB stock as a tool for market management and rolling mill
optimization advanced among three best projects in the top line growth category and has
a legitimate ambition to win the whole contest. In PEA 2013-2014 our two other projects
became winners in their categories. One is Production of 130 mm round billets in the technical
innovation category and Leadership and employee engagement in H&S. A total of 37 projects in
seven different categories entered the completion this year.
Number of the Month
3 762
So many salads were sold at GTH canteens during the Heath Awareness Program.
Do you know that…
If employees were given a Flexi pass worth of 5.000 CZK they would spend it on sports, health
and traveling. These are the highlights of a survey conducted by marketing and trade department
of VŠB-TU Ostrava in middle of October. Employees expressed major interest particularly in
swimming, shopping in pharmacies, and in wellness programmes. On the contrary they would use
the passes the least on education. The difference in preference was can be seen between genders
too. Males preferred swimming the most, followed by shopping at pharmacies and travel agency
trips. In females the ranking was slightly different. The expressed interest in pharmacies and
wellness programmes. Swimming unlike men ranked third.
Again setting up something special for visitors: Virtual reality
formula ride
Compete with 100 minutes for life!
On the occasion of the sixth year of our regular October event of 100 minutes for life we
announce a contest.
PAGE 6
HAP: football was traditionally most popular
In a year working without cigarettes
To quit smoking has never been easier. That’s hold true for a special non-smoking
programme which ArcelorMittal launched since Sep 1. It makes use of the most efficient
medicine eliminating abstinence effects and if after a year smokers become non-smokers it
won’t cost them a penny.
What some of our leaders say about giving up smoking:
Tapas Rajderkar, CEO ArcelorMittal Ostrava
I was born in a Kolkata, a city where male community takes pride in
smoking. I was one of them and used to smoke a pack of 20 cigarettes a day.
I played football and cricket regularly in the club and I found smoking is not
helping me. My coach used to push me to quit but I could not. I was not even
lucky those days to have current rehabilitation techniques to assist smokers
to quit.
When I was doing my MBA, one day I promised not to smoke for that day
and I succeeded. I repeated this success every day and 26 years passed since
I smoked for the last time.
I am very lucky that God gave me the strength. I never say I stopped
smoking but I say I am not smoking today.
It is possible and I know how much it is good for the health. I am sure all my smoking colleagues
will be able to quit.
Kristina Červenková, Finance Manager
I had been smoking from my university studies for more than 25 years.
Some five years back my grown-up daughter sent me a commercial to at
least try the non-smoking treatment. She was concerned about my health in
combination with my challenging work. Several months I had been making
my mind to begin the treatment and back in April 2009 I finally lit my last
cigarette. Since the space for smokers gets smaller and smaller these days
I am very glad I managed that and showed my daughters that I have a strong
will. Definitely I feel better when doing sport, going skiing or biking.
Santosh Pandey, executive assistant to CEO:
I had been a smoker for almost 10 years since my college days.
I quit in 2005. The decision to quit was sensible it was not difficult to
make that decision but to keep it intact every day when people around you
PAGE 7
had been smoking and to control my yearning to smell and taste it again was
the real challenge. I feel more self-confident now and I realized that I can
Investing 400 millions into hot blast stoves
accomplish the most difficult goals in life if I have a determination.
ArcelorMittal Ostrava modernizes three hot-blast stoves used for the heating of air
There is no better time of day for quitting than now (not even today but
blown
to Blast Furnace. The new hot-blast stoves will increase the temperature of hot air by
now) and test your true boldness and courage every time you feel the desire
100 °C, thus not only reducing the volume of burned coke but also emissions of carbon
to smoke again, be a winner and quitter at the same time as against the
oxides. The project is worth 400 million crowns.
famous saying that „ winners are not quitters“.
Vitamins pleased handicapped athletes
All of 172 participants of the Handicapped Sports Games which took place in late
October at the Social Services Center in Hrabyně, could feel like winners thanks to
ArcelorMittal Ostrava.
Regardless of the final results all athletes received vitamin packages which our company donated
to the Center. Head of the institution Vladimír Plaček in his letter of acknowledgement appreciated
our support: “We are happy that thanks to your support we could provide participating athletes
with prizes and increase the general level of this event. Special needs athletes from MoravianSilesian region, Olomouc South Moravia and Pilsen region participated this year in the games
competing in 13 different disciplines.
We are pleased by your relation to our special needs citizens and as another way of
acknowledgement we dared mentioning you among partners of the event on our website. We look
forward to further co-operation.”
How it works in the army
We kindly invite our female colleagues to join us at the next meeting of the Ladies Club.
The VIP guest will be a colonel Kateřina Bernadová from the Czech Army.
She will talk about relations in teams, how to strengthen team spirit, motivate others or how to
achieve common satisfaction. The meeting will take place in October 16 from 1.30 p. m – 3.30
p.m. at the training centre (room No. 8).
“I am very glad that within a short period of time I can announce another important investment
into modernization of production in the company in spite of difficult situation faced by the
industry. After commissioning the modernized continuous steel caster last year, this year we are
reconstructing the equipment used for hot metal production,” says Tapas Rajderkar, the CEO of
ArcelorMittal Ostrava.
The modernization consists of complete replacement of internal equipment and refractory brick
of the hot-blast stoves. The modernization will not only bring economic savings but also lower the
emissions of carbon oxides, which will have a positive impact on the environment.
The construction is delivered by a German company Paul Wurth Refractory & Engineering
GmbH. The complete reconstruction of the equipment is carried out under full operation. The
beginning of the next year will see commissioning of two new hot-blast stoves and the
modernization of the third one will have been completed by January 2016.
To have an accident and still even touching the medal positions that sounds almost
unbelievable. What have happened to you actually?
ArcelorMittal Distribution Solutions completed installation of gates at the entrances to
Shortly before the Championship a car did not give me priority and knocked me down so that
crane tracks.
I had to spend twelve days at the hospital with an injured kidney and struck ribs. I had blood in my
Upon entering an authorized employee has to use a universal key which is the same for all crane urine but fortunately the kidney was not seriously injured. It could have turned out much worse.
track entrances. When leaving or evacuating the crane tracks it is sufficient to push down the door My bike was impacted the worst it was a write-off. When I was released from the hospital instead
handle.
of training I had to run around insurance companies, various check-ups and arrange a new jersey
and a bike. But it didn’t put me off from participation at the World’s Championship. On the
PAGE 9
contrary I said to myself that I have to get my stuff together so that I can leave for Graz.
Locking them up
Assumption? Mistake that could kill
To get back in shape shortly after your accident must nut have been very easy. Are you
Painful burns of the forehand and right hand palm. It is a big luck that Radim Ježíšek from happy with the result?
AMEPO ended up with only such injuries when he switched off a cable at the shorting cell in
When taking into consideration that fact that I I had been lying at the hospital and I was left with
late June. However the incident might have ended up for him and his dearest ones tragically. just two weeks from preparation than I take the sixth place as winning one of the medals. Yes, I am
satisfied with my performance. I felt that physically I was able to win a medal I was only a bit afraid
during the down ride which was the crucial moment. If the race was held in dry conditions I would
ride to the fullest and maybe I would win one of the medals.
Did your injury affect you somehow during the race?
Physically not, I had enough strength. It was a race 80 km long with the average speed reaching
to 40 km/h and on the level parts climbing up to 70 km/h. It was about many steep climbs some
of which amounted to 18 % but it was not a problem for me. On the contrary I rode up on the first
hill in the top position but then a downhill followed during which the speed rocketed up to 100
km/h and at that time the effects of the accident came to light. The road was wet and I didn’t
want to take chances and fall and this in fact cost me the medal. Three bikers passed me over and
maintained about a fifty metres lead, taking turns in high speed and till the end of the race I was
not able to catch up with them.
How do you assess your season? Are you happy with your results?
Yes, I am. I think the second place from the World’s Mountain Bike Championship and sixth place
in road bikes is a very decent result taking into account the twelve days I had to spend at the
hospital. I hope next the Championship will be held in September as my form usually gradually goes
up towards end of the season. So the later it is the better for me. Finally I would like to thank to
ArcelorMittal Ostrava for all financial support and everything it allows me.
PAGE 10
Putting Karviná’s firemen to test
How long have you been working at AMEPO?
Since 2008.
When working in confined space moreover ten metres deep extraordinary situations can
occur. An employee can collapse from lack of oxygen or the get injured and then a quick
rescue and first aid is needed. During the Health Awareness Programme our Karviná’s
colleagues conducted a drill along with local Fire brigade.
Have you ever suffered an injury?
No, it was my first work accident ever.
You work as an operator of high voltage devices. It means that your work is prone to risk.
Has it ever crossed your mind that you could get injured on the job?
I have been thinking about that. But I hoped nothing like that would happen to me.
How do you approach life after this experience?
My approach to life has changed dramatically after the incident. I take it as a new chance I was
given. I realized what it would happen for my family if the consequences were worse than a burnt
hand. I treasure more my health and family with whom I try to spend more time these days. I have
a girlfriend and a year and a half old daughter whom I care about much. I am more cautious at
work so that nothing like that happened again.
What has changed in your work?
I try to keep all rules as before but I pay bigger attention to all instructions I am given. I double
check everything I am supposed to do and better ask twice or three times before I get down to
work. I taught me not to rely on assumptions that something like I think it is. Along with the lack of
information on the state of the performed tests – that was probably the biggest mistake we
made.
What would you say to other employees?
Take care of yourselves and always make sure that you understand well what you are supposed
to do. There could be only one little moment of inattention or a mistake in communication and all
you care about can be lost in one single moment.
Defense turned out well
On Saturday Sep 6 another year of Steel Olympics took place, this time in winter disguise.
Injury slowed him down a bit. But his form still matches top positions
The successful season of Adam Kauer still goes on. Even though a car knocked him down
during his training a month before the firemen’s World’s Road Biking Championship in Graz,
Austria, and he could prepare for the race just two weeks he came in at a nice sixth place.
Our plant went to defend the second place from last year which seemed very difficult given the
new disciplines. Our traditional strengths like badminton or indoor football were missing. On the
other hand the disciplines like Jamaican bobsleigh or run by three skiers on one ski did not raise
much hope for a victory. Eventually we managed to put together a team in such a way that we
covered all disciplines and got to grips with our opponents.
The result was more than good – in all the disciplines but one we came in at the top eight
positions. Floorball players advanced to the final where after a tough fight they lost but brought
the team the biggest number of points. They were followed by our ski jumpers and ski runners
who ranked third. Along with other good results it all added up to the great silver medal for our
team.
So let me congratulate to all participants for a great representation of our plant and to invite you
to the next event when we try to defend our second place.
PAGE 11
We had a blast. What about you?
Every Olympics has its heroes. One of the most distinctive faces of this years’s event was
the trio made up of skiers from Ostrava’s tubular plant – Tomáš Trybula, David Kovařík and
Martin Černý alias Miss Martina.
The couple of Alena Jurčáková and Petr Vavrač made it to the third place in the extreme mountain race Beskydy 7.
For how many times have you been to the Steel Olympics and in which disciplines have
you competed?
TT: It was for the third time already. In 2011 we finished eighth in footvolley, last year we won
with David in tandem bike ride and this year with David and Martin we fought a victory in skiing.
MČ: That was my second start. The year before last year I ranked eleventh in putting. This time
the performance was much better.
Where and how did you prepare for your skiing discipline?
TT: We planned the training in the week prior to the Olympics. Eventually we met the day before
the event. Poruba’s residents must have been surprised to see three fools walking on the grass
with skis on their feet.
MČ: We did not know the quality of our opponents so we wanted to prepare as much as
possible. Especially to coordinate our walk. I think we managed that as we beat our competitors by
about half a minute.
Last year you made a big impression on the spectators with your perfect outfit. This year
you were again in the spotlight. Who was your fashion designer?
TT: You may not believe it but we made the design all by ourselves. (smile). Already last year we
wanted to entertain ourselves and our competitors in tandem bike that’s why we put on hats and
jackets. This year we wanted to make fun again and I think we pulled it off.
MČ: I think next year other teams could join us too. I had a wonderful time.
Volunteering Day at Lysá Hora
A team of employees from Inner Affairs directors of ArcelorMittal Tubular Products
Ostrava gave a helping hand with a voluntary work repainting the Bezruč lodge at Lysá hora
mountain on the second Sunday in September.
Our colleagues from Tubular Ostrava won the Skittles Tournament which was part of the HAP 2014.
Celebrating birthday in October:
Jaroslav Vaněk, Karel BŘEZOVJÁK and Naděžda SKUPIENOVÁ (operation 151),
Petr JAGOŠ (operation 152)
Vladimír Pekař (operation 156)
Lenka OPRAVILOVÁ and Jana HUDCOVÁ (operation 159)
Congratulations to all and wishing you all the best
PAGE 12
I spent in Ostrava most of my life
You can see her moderating TV shows, singing at Prague’s musical but what she likes the
most is her career of a professional singer. As part of our interview series with famous
Ostravian natives we talked to a well-known pop singer Heidi Janků.
You were born In Ostrava and lived here for a long time. What does Ostrava mean to you
today?
It is still my native town and a place where I spent most of my life. First loves, first
disappointments, death of my mother, high school. So I still talk about myself as an Ostravian
because I know the city and its surroundings pretty well though it has changed recently quite a lot.
How did you start your career as a singer?
I was born to a musical family where my mum was teaching how to play cello at a folk school and
my dad the brass instruments. So you could still hear some music at our home be it the classical
from my parents or the popular one which my 11 years older brother listened to. Maybe it was
him why we had at home an amazing collection of singles with pop music which my brother
bought. However ,I had been attending the folk school for many years where I studied singing,
how to play piano and move. That was a perfect base. Then in high school I started singing with
different bands the most distinctive of which was Proměny band, earlier Majestic band with whom
Věra Špinarová also used to sing. After high school I left to sing in Hamburg in Germany. When
I came back two months later Ivo Pavlík heard me sing and said he would try to make singer out of
me. And partially I think it worked (laughter).
How do you like to spend your free time during weekend or after work?
We have it a bit the opposite way. We are the busiest on weekends so we relax early in the week
only on the condition that I do not record or prepare anything. I like going for walks or sleeping and
for me the feeling that I don’t have to do ANYTHING is very important to me. That’t the best
relaxation.
International
Learning week to take place in September
ArcelorMittal’s second group-wide learning week will take place September 22-26, 2014, with
the theme ìwe share, we learn, we growî. Activities will be hosted on sites across the world,
including short modules to train occasional trainers, lunch and learn sessions, book fairs, and
information stands. Various activities will also be available online on the global level – a thematic
conference on collaborative learning, ArcelorMittal University webinars, as well as functional
academies. A video contest ìOne minute to share your knowledgeî will be launched on the online
campus. To find out more about the plan for the week, contact your HR department.
ArcelorMittal sheet piles to build dock for Baffinland’s Milne Port
Straight web sheet piles AS 500 and HP bearing piles, produced in our Belval and Differdange
mills in Luxembourg, are making their way by ship from Antwerp, Belgium, to Nunavut, Canada, to
be used to build a sheet pile dock at Milne Inlet, which will serve as the port for Mary River project
Baffinland’s (owned 50% by ArcelorMittal). 03.07.2014
Americas
ArcelorMittal Point Lisas donates steel to help build low-income homes
ArcelorMittal Point Lisas and Habitat for Humanity Trinidad and Tobago (HFHTT) have signed
a memorandum of understanding for the donation of 40 tonnes of steel billets which, once rolled
and cut into steel rods, will be used in the construction and repair of low-income houses.
04.08.2014
ArcelorMittal ranks among top foreign corporate citizens in Canada
ArcelorMittal Canada has been selected among Canada’s best foreign corporate citizens by
award-winning business and society magazine Corporate Knights. 04.07.2014
Europe
More than 1,500 tonnes of GijÛn steels for Cameroon Railways
ArcelorMittal Asturias’ GijÛn site in Spain supplied a total of 30,000 metres - 1,510 tonnes - of
rails to Cameroon Railways (Camrail) for a total of US$2m. The new rails will help significantly
reduce transit time while improving safety on the railway network. 03.07.2014
Kryvyi Rih celebrates plant’s 80th anniversary
ArcelorMittal’s site in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, celebrated the 80th anniversary of the plant on
4 August. The ceremony was held at the memorial dedicated to Yakov Vesnik - the first director of
the plant formerly known as Kryvorizhstal. The first blast furnace was built on the site in 1934.
07.