Steffca AS
A growing force
Steffca AS is both a manufacturer and trader of gaskets, welding, fire protection blankets and various insulation products.
Based in Nyborg, Denmark, the company’s product line also consists of stove, gasket and boiler packings, and ceramic adhesives –such as heat-stable silicone.
The company was established in 1993 by the parents of current managing director and co-owner, Martin Steffensen. During the first five years of operation, the majority of Steffca’s activities were in the manufacture of packings for stoves and boilers. After Martin and his brother, Mikkel, joined the company in 1998, it began to expand into working with glass fibre fabric for welding protection. After buying Steffca from their parents, the two brothers then gradually oversaw its diversification into the gasket sector.
Today, Steffca benefits from a considerable stock and machine capacity, which allows it to offer just-in-time (JIT) delivery for all of its products. Furthermore, it can also tailor-make gasket solutions upon unique customer requests. Steffca possesses a variety of CNC-cutting machines, ring cutters and presses at its facility, which allow it to produce both simple and complex products such as NBR, SBR, EPDM, CR, rubber cork, high pressure sheets, graphite sheets, cellular rubber, silicone, viton, polyurethane, vulkollan, polyethylene, nylon, glass cloth, ceramic paper, glass needle felt and PTFE.
Working with major oil operators, including the likes of Maersk, Steffca has slowly expanded into a key provider of parts for the oil and gas industry. Martin explains: “We have two main areas of products when it comes to working with the oil and gas sector – which are welding protection products and gaskets. When it comes to welding protection, we have a very high stock of products and we are very competitive in this area. With regards to our gaskets, we are still growing and our aims are to expand significantly further into this sector. We have significant expertise in this area and we can also offer very attractive prices and quick delivery, so the foundations are present for us to really grow here.”
In order to remain successful in this sector, Steffca is continually looking to exploit and develop its key strengths, according to Martin. He elaborates: “We visit our suppliers regularly to ensure that they meet all of our requirements, and we invest a lot of time into quality maintenance across all of our operations. Furthermore, we liaise with our clients constantly to provide them with solutions to any product-related issues.”
Whilst Steffca’s products are sold to customers across of a variety of industries, including construction, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, maritime, sewage and automotive, it is very often the oil and gas sector that can prove the most challenging. Martin highlights: “When working in the oil and gas industry, it is vital that products and services are available 24 hours a day. Once a well is established, production is ongoing – and so we have to be constantly on-call in order to provide whatever is needed by the customers.”
Steffca has plans to continually expand its range of gaskets in the coming months, and it has various specific products that are currently being developed at present. Martin reveals: “We are becoming increasingly specialised in spiral-wound gaskets, which are a key product in the oil and gas market. Customers in this sector want to work with what they know, and these products have long-been a mainstay for operators across the globe. Our aim is to strengthen our position through releasing more products in this category, thus enabling us to move closer to becoming a key provider within the oil and gas industry.”
The company has already achieved substantial success recently, having grown by 25 per last year. Steffca now aims to repeat this in 2010, and Martin discusses how: “Our quality has become renowned, and this is evident through our Achilles certification status. In the oil and gas sector, companies always want to know that their suppliers meet the highest standards in quality and safety. The Achilles certification encompasses all of these, and having it allows us to conduct business with the likes of ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhilips, Dong Energy or Noveco.”
By continuing to establish itself as a key supplier within the oil and gas sector, Steffca is in a position to take advantage of many opportunities in the future. Martin concludes “We will ensure that Steffca remains a name that our clients can put their faith in by continuing to provide our high-quality products to the market. Our ability to offer bespoke solutions to individual customers, both quickly and whenever they want it, has allowed us to gain a strong reputation in a very short time. The goal is now to build on this further. In addition, we have also explored new regions to operate in – such as the UK offshore market, for example.”
Steffca AS
Products: Gaskets and insulation products