Bekaert at a glance

Who we are

Bekaert is a world market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and coating technologies. We pursue to be the preferred supplier for our steel wire products and solutions by continuously delivering superior value to our customers worldwide. Bekaert (Euronext Brussels: BEKB) was established in 1880 and is a global company with almost 30 000 employees worldwide, headquarters in Belgium and € 4.8 billion in combined revenue. (GRI 102-3 + GRI 102-7)

What we do

Bekaert employs unique metal treatment technologies to deliver a quality portfolio of drawn steel wire products and coating solutions on a global scale. We purchase more than 3 million tons of wire rod per year as our basic material.

Depending on our customers’ requirements, we draw wire in different diameters and strengths, even as thin as ultrafine fibers of one micron. We group the wires into cords, ropes and strands, weave or knit them into fabric or process them into an end product. The coatings we apply reduce friction, improve corrosion resistance, or enhance adhesion with other materials. (GRI 102-2 + GRI 102-6)

How we work

better together sums up the unique cooperation between Bekaert and its business partners. We create value for our customers by co-creating and delivering a quality portfolio of steel wire solutions and by offering customized services in all continents. We believe in lasting relationships with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders and are committed to delivering long-term value to all of them. We are convinced the trust, integrity and irrepressibility that bring our employees worldwide together as one team, form the fundamentals of successful partnerships, wherever we do business.

Our strategy

Our strategy is aimed at consistently driving value creation for our shareholders by cost effectively creating superior value for customers. Our vision and core strategies form the foundation of a transformation of our business towards higher-level performance.

Our vision

Consistent with our better together aspiration, we relentlessly pursue to be the preferred supplier for our steel wire products and solutions, by continuously delivering superior value to our customers around the world.

With this Vision statement, Bekaert has explicitly determined its ‘field of play’: it describes what we want to be, where we want to compete and invest in, and how we want to differentiate ourselves. (GRI 102-16)

Our Long Term Core Strategies

Our five core strategies form the basis of Bekaert’s priorities and decision-making process towards driving value and growth. These strategies put the company’s vision into practice and reflect the direction and priorities:

1. Drive the customer into the heart of our business
2. Value driven growth
3. Technology leadership and speed
4. Leverage scale, reduce complexity and reach lowest total cost
5. Engage and empower people

More information about how we implement these strategies is available in the “Strategy” chapter of the 2017 Annual Report.