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GFG Alliance (GFG) and LIBERTY Steel Group鈥檚 Restructuring and Transformation Committee (RTC) today provides an update on the restructuring of GFG鈥檚 steel businesses.

天博体育官方网站 developments help pave the way for a refinancing which will enable GFG to pay back creditors following the collapse of its main lender Greensill Capital. This in turn will allow GFG to refocus its business, protect jobs and develop further its remaining assets.

Jeffrey S. Stein, Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) said: 鈥淲e are aware of the significant challenges facing the group but are pleased that we are making good progress to refinance, repay creditors and refocus the group on our core assets. Much remains to be done but we are optimistic that a vibrant, well-funded, profitable and sustainable business will emerge as we systematically restructure and transform the group.鈥�

Our approach

天博体育官方网站 RTC was established on 5th May 2021 to restructure LIBERTY鈥檚 operations to focus on core profitable units, and with a brief either to fix or to look at the option of selling underperforming units.

Since May, the RTC has evolved a strategy for LIBERTY鈥檚 future which will see the company focus on its primary metal production hubs and associated downstream units, and renewable energy developments, to support its GREENSTEEL vision. 天博体育官方网站 restructuring will support GFG鈥檚 progress on refinancing of the group, which has been boosted by the strength of core assets and record steel, aluminium and iron ore prices.

In its reformed state, LIBERTY will be focused on core business units, including InfraBuild and LIBERTY Primary Metals Australia (LPMA) in Australia and the LIBERTY Ostrava and LIBERTY Galati steelworks in Europe. 天博体育官方网站se will continue to be operationally and commercially developed to improve their generation of cash and profits. 天博体育官方网站 plan also incorporates a restructured and refocussed UK business as well as more closely integrating the European downstream steel plants into LIBERTY鈥檚 major businesses.

Actions taken

As part of that process GFG and the RTC have already achieved the following:

• GFG Alliance and Credit Suisse Asset Management (CSAM) have agreed a formal standstill agreement with regard to LPMA which will enable the business to complete full refinancing;
• progressing the refinancing of LPMA, with White Oak Global Advisers LLC (White Oak). 天博体育官方网站 refinancing will be sufficient to pay out LPMA鈥檚 Greensill debt in full.
• agreement on a framework with Greensill Bank鈥檚 administrators (GB) for positive direct engagement to achieve an amicable resolution;
• submission of refinancing memoranda to interested parties for LIBERTY Steel Continental Europe, including major primary production hubs in Ostrava and Galati.
• development of new business plans, asset strategy and management structure for LIBERTY Steel UK

Regional updates

United Kingdom
LIBERTY Steel UK is continuing to assess a sales process for its UK aerospace and special alloys steel business in Stocksbridge, which while being a unique, high quality business servicing marquee customers, is not core to LIBERTY鈥檚 future. This sale will allow LIBERTY to focus on developing its Rotherham plant, including its low carbon emitting electric arc furnaces, into a competitive two million tonnes GREENSTEEL plant, one of the largest in Europe.

On the 2nd July the current Managing Director of LSUK, Jon Ferriman, will be stepping down.聽 天博体育官方网站 organisation would like to thank Jon for his role in managing the business through Covid-19 and its response to the collapse of Greensill.聽 Joining LSUK as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Roy Chowdhury who brings with him thirty years of industry and turnaround experience.聽 Roy is joined by Anton Krull as LSUK鈥檚 new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who brings with him twenty years of corporate finance and restructuring experience.聽聽聽 A new management structure to support LSUK鈥檚 revised business plan will be announced shortly.

天博体育官方网站 RTC has also been exploring strategic options regarding the future of the UK Engineering business. 天博体育官方网站 process, which is being supported by Alvarez & Marsal, is focused on identifying new owners which would provide a sustainable future for the business serving automotive OEMs. GFG Alliance and the business鈥檚 key customers will continue to work together to provide adequate cash flow to keep the business solvent until the sale process is completed.

Europe
In Europe, the RTC is developing plans to merge its European downstream businesses, LIBERTY Li猫ge-Dudelange (Belgium and Luxembourg) and LIBERTY Magona (Italy), into the LIBERTY Galati organisation to optimise operational integration between the three plants. Under the restructuring LIBERTY Galati, the largest integrated steelworks in Romania, will become the primary supplier of Hot Rolled Coil (HRC) to LIBERTY鈥檚 downstream businesses, ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of their raw material. 天博体育官方网站 closer links to the downstream businesses will allow LIBERTY Galati to offer a significantly broader range of high quality products to its existing customer base across Central and South Eastern Europe. As part of the restructuring Renaud Moretti, CEO for LIBERTY Steel Downstream in Europe, will now report into Paramjit Kahlon, LIBERTY鈥檚 CEO of Primary Steel and Integrated Mining.

天博体育官方网站 initial stages of that restructuring programme have already started, with the first supplies of HRC from LIBERTY Galati expected to arrive at the downstream plants within the next few weeks, allowing them to restart their lines soon afterwards. 天博体育官方网站 restructuring is expected to lead to synergies across a range of functional areas, including procurement, IT and accounting.聽 天博体育官方网站 company will continue in its constructive dialogue with unions and works councils on these changes.

Australia
天博体育官方网站 RTC continues to explore potential strategic partnership or sale options for the Cultana Solar Farm and Playford Battery projects in South Australia. 天博体育官方网站 options under consideration will include SIMEC retaining an interest and with GFG retaining priority access to this energy for its Whyalla development plans. This will expedite ways to power the Whyalla operations with low cost renewable energy, which is key to GFG鈥檚 future ambitions to scale up production and introduce hydrogen steel making.

Outlook

In response to the progress achieved by the RTC, Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of GFG Alliance, commented: 鈥淒espite the difficult circumstances, GFG Alliance contains many high quality businesses which are performing strongly in record markets where customer demand and pricing are strong. By refocussing our businesses, we will protect more jobs and lay the foundations for future sustainable growth. 天博体育官方网站 refinancing of the group, which is progressing well, brings closer the point of being able to honour our obligations to creditors.鈥�

Further information from:

Note to Editors
LIBERTY Steel Group, part of the and a leading GREENSTEEL producer, is a global integrated steel business bringing together assets across the steel supply chain, from production of liquid steel from raw and recycled materials through to high value precision engineered steels. With a total rolling capacity of 20 million tonnes, 200+ manufacturing locations globally across 10 countries and employing more than 30,000 people, LIBERTY Steel鈥檚 furnaces, mills, services centres and distribution sites across the UK, continental Europe, Australia, the United States and China serve demanding sectors such as construction, energy, aerospace, automotive, and infrastructure. LIBERTY Steel is a leader in sustainable industry with a mission to become Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30).