«2004 2005 2006 »

With overall demand for pre-finished steel products at a low level, Shotton’s coatings lines are no longer operating at full capacity.

Demand for galvanised and organic coated products is particularly weak in the April-June quarter, with outages on some sites. Despite this a new weekly output record of 10,.398 tonnes is set on the No.5 hot dip galvanizing line. Rated weekly capacity is 9,000 tonnes.

As part of a £11m. Future Shotton project, a new railhead warehouse is completed in September at the east end of the Coatings Two complex. It can hold 16,000 tonnes of cold reduced strip for metallic coating and 1,500 tonnes of finished products. A conveyor linking the area to the No. 6 hot dip galvanising line has been running since July. The new facility was officially opened on 4th November by the Rt.Hon. Rhodri Morgan, First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government.

The development scheme also includes new IT based business systems and the conversion of the former electro galvanising line bays to coil storage areas.

Shotton’s General Office building, built in 1908 as a new head office of John Summers and Sons, is designated a Listed building, protected by CADW, the historic environment agency in Wales.

A new strategy to build the Colorcoat ® brand as a mark of quality and expertise considered vital to Shotton is launched and generates unprecedented interest in the UK and Southern Ireland.

Following development work by Corus Colors, Corus RD & T, Swinden Technology Centre and key paint suppliers, the range of Colorcoat HPS200 ® is widened. Launched in 1998, the product is now marketed as maintenance free with an extended Confidex ® guarantee. The revised coating has a lower environmental impact and offers benefits in terms of reduced costs, through the elimination of regular building inspection and improved safety.

Colorcoat Prisma ® launched

The Colorcoat ® range of products is extended with the development of a new high performance pre-finished steel for roof and wall cladding. Colorcoat Prisma ® has a Galvalloy ® substrate of zinc and aluminium, a primer coating for extra corrosion resistance and a polyurethane top coat providing greater durability than PVF2. The new product offers outstanding colour and gloss retention, good scratch and abrasion resistance and is covered by the Confidex ® guarantee. It has been developed in partnership with paint suppliers, Becker Industrial Coatings Limited, and its process involves the No.6 hot dip galvanising line and the No. 2 Colorcoat line.

Corus announces an operating profit of £627m for the year ending March 2005.