INTERVIEW WITH BTH ELSTAR

BTH ELSTAR is a distributor of stainless steel fittings and pipes for clients of various industries, branches and projects. The group of ELSTAR companies have been offering steel solutions since 1995. 

The company delivers their products to 30 European countries. Their professional and systematic approach allows them to maintain the reliability and attractive offer that BTH ELSTAR continuously develops thanks to the professional business networks. 

BTH ELSTAR is also a member of Stainless Steel Association which promotes top stainless steel solutions and supports exchange of information in the field and the industry.

Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?

BTH ELSTAR: Our basic offer contains more than 3000 products, which are mostly made from stainless steel AISI 304, AISI 304L and AISI 316/316L. 

Their quality is regularly and thoroughly checked by our Quality Control Department – each product is submitted for multi-level testing. 

Additionally, the quality is guaranteed by various international certificates. 

In this way we assure true compliance with general standards and norms – i.e. DIN, EN10357, SMS, ISO – in metric and royal sizes.

We also work hard on securing the higher standarisation of our products providing the best value for the money, to allow for consistency and business continuity for all our clients.

Main product groups:

  • fittings for the food industry
  • threaded fittings
  • welded fittings
  • pipes / tubes & long products

Besides great prices and top value for your money, availability, fast information, reliability and seamless processing, our offer also includes additional technical and sales support. 

E.E: What’s the news about new products?

BTH ELSTAR: We are looking into adding some new products to our offer or products that we used to sell before in order to respond to the fresh post-pandemic demand of the market. First, we do the research on the products that interest us the most, then we have to check the availability, then logistics, then we need to analyse costs and margins and decide on our short, medium and long-term strategy of buying and selling.

E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?

BTH ELSTAR: Almost anyone in the market can tell you that the market is standing on the back foot at the moment, we are very low in terms of new investments in general, almost everyone is stocked up to the teeth with products that lowered in prices below the BEP of the last deliveries and almost everyone waits for the prices to raise to be able to sell with any margin at all.

E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?

BTH ELSTAR: Market trends vary and fluctuate regarding location and government politics. Enough to look at the traditional markets for stainless steel – in time when US companies boom, in the local trends, the Chinese consortium underwent a huge correctional trend and seems to be weakening.

E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?

BTH ELSTAR: We do not do any marketing apart from the niche press and word of mouth so there is no trend for marketing anything. These groups of products are used only by the knowledgeable engineers and people in need of specific materials, there is no “off the street” client and therefore no campaigns are set for any products, even the most advanced ones. Each industry has its own standards and norms which everyone has to follow and the product development, if happens, lasts years if not decades.

E.E: What estimations do you have for 2023?

BTH ELSTAR: Everyone hopes for the raise in the second half of the year and we as a business count on 13-15% of raise from the first half, maybe a stale-mate from the last year, counted year-to-year, bearing in mind the last year was a record one. A stable 15% growth for the next 5 years would make us happy and satisfied with the plan of making the turnover of 30-40mln EUR.