POSCO-Turkey Nilufer Processing Center (POSCO-TNPC), an automotive steel processing center, achieved a total of one-million-ton sale this February. Established in 2009, the company is POSCO Group’s first outreach attempt towards the European continent. Turkey’s geopolitical advantage – as a bridge between Asia and Europe, Turkey is the EU’s major trade and political partner – made it an ideal choice for POSCO’s advance into Europe.

POSCO TNPC’s primary customers are the top global automobile dealerships and manufacturers with joint ventures in Turkey, like the French automobile manufacturer Renault and the Fiat Automobiles of Italy.

To celebrate its breakthrough, POSCO-TNPC held a ceremony last February where it reconfirmed its full dedication to expanding the sales market in Turkey. POSCO-TNPC’s achievement is especially meaningful as the company commemorates its 10th anniversary this year, as well as the economic turmoil the country has undergone.

The Turkish economy has suffered a severe downturn. Following the financial crisis last year, the Turkish lira devalued by more than 40%. Steel sales hit a significant roadblock due to the stringent trade protectionism pervasive worldwide – import-export to and from Turkey became all the more challenging.

POSCO-TNPC is stepping up to help negate the current crisis by focusing on boosting sales of the WTP (World Top Premium) products and by actively supporting overseas customers’ export businesses to Europe and the Middle East. Also, POSCO-TNPC has established an extensive portfolio composed of automotive steel plates, POSMAC, and electric steel plates, which helped secure stable profits despite strenuous circumstances at home and abroad.

On the other hand, POSCO is continuing its outreach to Europe with its global yet localized marketing tactics with the following operations: POSCO-ASSAN TST (cold-rolled stainless steel production plant in Turkey), processing center POSCO-PWPC (Poland), POSCO-ITPC (Italy) as well as the distribution center POSCO-ESDC (Slovenia).

Each year, GM Mexico evaluates its partners on 13 criterion, including process, quality and delivery for the Quality Excellence Awards.  

Gabriela Ruiz Osorio, POSCO-MPPC 2 plant manager, and Tae-hyun Yoon, head of POSCO-MPPC, receive the Supplier for Quality Excellence Award from GM Mexico

POSCO-MPPC received the highest grades in all areas of evaluation and was the only recipient in the local steel materials processing and supply category.

Over the years, POSCO-MPPC and GM Mexico have worked closely together to meet project deadlines and maintain a high standard of product quality. On one occasion, POSCO-MPPC dispatched a team of engineers to the GM San Luis Potosi (GM SLP) plant to address quality issues and quickly resolved defects in cooperation with the Technical Service Center (TSC). As a result, POSCO-MPPC received zero Problem Reporting & Resolutions (PRRs) and parts per million (PPM).

POSCO-MPPC produces and supplies as many as 43 blank products, including outer body plates for use in compact sedans and SUVs such as GM SLP’s main production models, the TRAX and AVEO.

Going forward, POSCO-MPPC hopes to establish itself as a global automotive steel plate supplier and continue to secure orders in the Mexican market. POSCO-MPPC is also planning to capitalize on its quality competitiveness to increase sales and reinforce its status as the best steel processing corporation in North America.

POSCO-MPPC has come a long way since the completion of its Plant 1 with a 170,000-ton capacity in Puebla in 2007. It then completed Plant 2, also with a 170,000-ton capacity in San Luis Potosi in 2008, and Plant 3 with a 130,000-ton capacity in Celaya in 2013.

It continued to expand in 2016 when it merged with MAPC, a processing corporation exclusively for Nissan Motor Corporation, and increased the blanking capabilities of Plant 3.

Currently, POSCO-MPPC provides premium-quality steel to its partners with an annual processing capacity of 630,000 tons.

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