A success story
Votorantim Metais was established in 1996, after the reorganization of the Votorantim Group’s management model, which grouped together the business units as per the line of action for the market. Since then, VM has managed the entire strategic control of four Business Units – Aluminum, Steel, Nickel and Zinc. Two years later, the Steel Business Unit split from Votorantim Metais to be managed by Votorantim Siderurgia’s.
Since its establishment, VM has been building on its impressive achievements and results. One factor is that since 2009 all the company units began to operate at their full capacity. Today, VM is one of the five major zinc manufacturers worldwide, the main electrolytic nickel manufacturer in Latin America and Brazilian leader in primary aluminum production. With their synergy in the operations between the various business units, Votorantim Metais has become as the second main non-ferrous metal company in Brazil.
As it has a fully comprehensive production process – the company has been operating mines since 1956 - Votorantim Metais guarantees quality products, competitive prices and permanent growth. In order to improve the internationally acknowledged quality standard, Votorantim Metais continuously invests in the enhancement of their production capacity as well as in the personal and professional growth of their personnel. Furthermore, the sustainability focus is permanent within VM. Currently, the company generates almost 80% of the electric energy consumed by their production units and seeks to develop its own technology and carry out mineral research and responsible environmental management.
Votorantim Metais is continuously investing in the expansion of their production capacity, business acquisitions, technological upgrades, the generation of energy and environmental areas. Part of VM’s resources goes to social, environmental, cultural and security projects.
Operations
Within Brazil, the Aluminum Business Unit operates in four factories – in the Aluminum (metallurgy) city of São Paulo and in the mining factories in Itamarati de Minas (mining and processing), Miraí (mining and processing) and Poços de Caldas (mining and processing).
Nickel operations occur in Fortaleza de Minas (MG) – mining, processing and metallurgy -, São Miguel Paulista (SP) – metallurgy – and Niquelândia (GO) – mining and processing.
Finally, the Zinc Business operates at ten points, four locations are in Brazil and six abroad: Três Marias (MG), metallurgy and zinc oxide, Juiz de Fora (MG), metallurgy, Vazante (MG), mining and processing, Paracatu (MG), mining and processing, Cajamarquilla (Peru), zinc refinery, U.S.ZINC VM Houston, U.S.ZINC VM Coldwater, U.S.ZINC VM Clarksville, U.S.ZINC VM Millington and Changshu Unit (China).
Sustainability
Votorantim Metais also focuses on social responsibility through the Votorantim Institute. In 2010, for instance, more than 25 thousand young people benefited from the completion of 30 social projects in education, employment, culture and sport, with an estimated investment of R$ 4.3 million.
VM facts and figures
Institutional
- 10 thousand employees in 17 industrial units – 11 in Brazil, four in the US, one in China and one in Peru
- R$ 7.5 billion net sales in 2010
- Leader in the aluminum Brazilian market
- Main electrolytic nickel manufacturer in Latin America
- One of the five main zinc manufacturers worldwide, leader in the zinc oxide production and second largest zinc dust manufacturer
Production capacity
- 730 thousand tons of zinc per year
- 475 thousand tons of aluminum per year
- 44 thousand tons of nickel per year