Our Areas of Expertise
SteelOnTheNet and Metals Consulting International (MCI) draw on a consultant network with hands-on operational experience across all major steel production routes – from raw material preparation through to finished product distribution. Each process area below identifies the named consultants who have led or managed assignments in that technology, with a combined track record spanning 48 countries and over 50 years of steel industry practice.
For advisory services, feasibility studies or expert witness assignments involving specific process routes, contact us to discuss the appropriate consultant team. Full credentials are set out in our consultant profiles.
Process Routes Covered
Integrated Operations
- Blast furnace ironmaking
- BOF steelmaking
- Cokemaking & sinter plants
- Continuous casting – slab, bloom, billet
- Raw material preparation & handling
- Plant restructuring & viability appraisal
Mini-Mill Operations
- EAF-based steelmaking
- DRI & HBI process routes
- Scrap processing & metallics supply
- Ladle refining & secondary metallurgy
- Modern casting technology (incl. MiDa)
- Micro-mill & continuous rolling concepts
Rolling & Processing
- Hot strip mills & Steckel mills
- Cold rolling – tandem & Sendzimir mills
- Galvanising lines (HDG & GA)
- Colour coating & PPGI lines
- Pickling & annealing operations
- Shape & thickness control systems
Tube Production
- Seamless tube manufacturing
- ERW pipe production
- LSAW large diameter pipe
- HSAW spiral welded pipe
- OCTG – welded & seamless
- Pipe coating & quality systems
Specialty Steel
- Stainless steel – melt shop & rolling
- Advanced high-strength steels (AHSS / UHSS)
- Special bar quality (SBQ) products
- Ferro-alloy production
- Engineering & tool steels
- Automotive & white goods strip grades
Distribution & Markets
- Steel service centre operations
- Route-to-market strategy
- Supply chain optimisation
- Building products & construction steel
- Market entry & joint venture planning
- Price forecasting & demand modelling
Named Consultants by Process Area
Each consultant below has held operational, project management or senior advisory roles within their specialist process area – not simply research experience. Assignments span greenfield plant construction, due diligence for major banks, expert witness testimony and national restructuring programmes.
Dr Andrzej M Kotas FIMMM FIC
Specialises in privatisation and restructuring of the steel industry in developing economies. Led consultant teams across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa since the early 1990s. PhD King's College London; MBA Cranfield; UK Register of Expert Witnesses since 2012.
- Privatisation advisor: Huta Katowice, Huta Sendzimira (Poland); Erdemir/İsdemir (Turkey)
- Restructuring: Polish (1998), Czech (1999, 2002), Croatian (2004) national steel programmes
- Feasibility: Egyptian Iron and Steel Company (Hadisolb) mini-mill (Egypt); ERW pipe plant (Turkey); greenfield mills in Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya
- Due diligence: World Bank (Czech Republic); European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Russia); Citigroup (Nigeria); Kazakhstan flat products
James F King
Independent consultant since 1980 specialising in the economic and commercial aspects of the steel and aluminium industries. Author of steel cost services published by Metal Bulletin Research since 2000. Recognised by the OECD Steel Committee as an authority on global capacity. Contributor to the Economist Intelligence Unit; adviser to McKinsey and Bain & Company.
- Maintains comprehensive steel capacity and production databases by plant
- Steel market forecasts: flat, long and tube products globally
- Expert witness information on steel scrap pricing
- Tube and pipe market appraisals for MENA banking clients; iron ore economics for Australia
- Ranked top 5% of experts by Gerson Lehrman Group global advisory network
Dave Edwards
Honours degree in Metallurgy, Manchester University. General management and project management experience across four continents since 1969. Has built, operated and managed steel companies in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and the UAE.
- General Manager: GST Steel Kansas City (1 Mt/yr wire rod); United Gulf Steel Saudi Arabia (medium sections)
- Project Manager: Celsa UK Cardiff – new 1.3 Mt/yr EAF meltshop
- Project Manager: Emirates Steel Industries Abu Dhabi – Phase 1 mill (DRI, EAF, LRF, billet casting, rod & bar mills, 1.3 Mt/yr)
- Casting Plant GM: Hadeed Steel Jubail (1.8 Mt/yr billets); Acindar Argentina (1.2 Mt/yr billets)
- Due diligence: SULB Bahrain (BNP Paribas); GIIC pellet plant Bahrain; seamless tube mill Saudi Arabia
Peter Stickland
Approximately 30 years of experience in steel and construction product industries in developed and emerging economies. Former Development Director of Corus Building Systems – a €700m turnover business formed from the downstream operations of British Steel, Hoogovens and parts of Usinor, supplying over 10,000 customers across Europe.
- Deep expertise in sales channels and business models for HDG and PPGI products worldwide
- Strategy for market entry to Central and Eastern Europe; three joint ventures established
- Negotiated cross-border supply contract for Ikea's international expansion programme
- Technical and commercial evaluation of steel distribution acquisition targets
- Joint venture planning in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania for construction steel products
Steve Hesling
Specialist in process and product technology for flat rolled products. Experience includes start-up of hot rolling, cold rolling/annealing and galvanising operations in North America and Mexico. Publications recognised with Outstanding Author Awards by the Galvanisers Association (2003, 2006).
- ThyssenKrupp Steel USA Calvert Alabama: team manager for HDGL quality and technology in a 2 Mt/yr greenfield plant; developed and qualified automotive exposed grades
- ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor: Operations Technology Manager – pickle line, tandem cold mill, galvanising, batch annealing, temper mills
- AHMSA Mexico (4 Mt/yr integrated works): corporate business planning and API line pipe product development on Steckel hot rolling mill
- Specialist in strip roughness control, coil winding, batch annealing stress modelling and GALVALUME® products
Anthony Shoult
Management consultant for approximately 40 years. Fellow of the Institute of Business Consulting; Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Extensive knowledge of manufacturing investment markets in the Middle East; ongoing adviser to the Saudi British Economic Offset Programme, Ministry of Defence.
- Market study for steel reinforcing bar in Saudi Arabia (Ernst & Young, 2011)
- Market study for large diameter LSAW facility, Eastern Province (2010)
- Feasibility study for hot induction pipe bending facility, Saudi Arabia (2012)
- Assessment of merchant bar mill investment, Saudi Arabia (2009)
- Feasibility and strategy study for cold rolling and galvanising mill – Attieh Steel (2007)
- Preparation of strategic marketing plan for United Gulf Steel medium section mill, Saudi Arabia
Roger Emmott FIMMM FIC
Over 20 years in strategy consulting covering both mining and steel. BSc Metallurgy & Materials, University of Birmingham; MBA London Business School. Chartered Engineer. Extensive knowledge of global steel producers, EAF and integrated routes, raw materials and downstream markets. Led international project teams on steel asset financing up to US$5bn.
- Led due diligence for US$5bn debt financing of Hyundai Steel expansion, South Korea
- Multi-client studies: automotive AHSS/UHSS demand; cold rolled & galvanised markets; linepipe and plate
- Strategy reviews for Hoogovens, BHP Steel (precursor to BlueScope), Boehler Uddeholm, Mechel
- Feasibility studies: DRI/HBI (South East Asia); iron unit facility (GCC); coated steels (Saudi Arabia)
- Due diligence: EkoStahl privatisation (Germany); Sidex Romania; Škoda Plzeň (EBRD)
- Industry trainer: Kallanish Steel Masterclass; Steelmaking Raw Materials Masterclass, Zurich
Alan Grimmond
BSc Metallurgy, Manchester University. 22 years at McLellan and Partners building the firm's market study capability across 45+ assignments. Technical Advisor to IFC/World Bank for metals industry projects. Steel sector experience in North and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East & Africa, India and South East Asia.
- Expert witness: hot rolled coil market – two insurance claims in North America, one proceeding to court testimony
- Project Director: 2.3 Mt/yr integrated EAF steelworks with hot & cold rolling, galvanising and colour coating, Turkey
- Project Director: DRI and EAF for Suez Steel Egypt; new EAF and twin billet casters for Interpipe Ukraine
- Project Director: 6 Mt/yr expansion JSW Steel Vijayanagar (India); 5 Mt/yr expansion Essar Steel Hazira (India)
- Market studies: steel plate (Saudi Arabia); heavy sections (GCC); CRCA coil (Saudi Arabia & UAE); stainless steel
- Valuations: integrated works in France, Egypt, Bulgaria, UAE; DR plant Pakistan; galvanising line & pipe mill Kosovo
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Whether your project involves a greenfield feasibility study, technical due diligence for a bank, expert witness support or a market appraisal, we can assemble the right consultant team. Discuss a Project →
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