300.000
Roughly 300.000 tons of
metalpackaging raw materials.
50 +
Sales to over 50 countries.
Five decades of global experience into bulk shipping.
2
Two industrial centers for product customization.
# 1
First customers or main exporter for over ten
global brands in steel and aluminum production.
100.000
100.000 tons of steel and aluminum for metalpackaging
always in inventory for our customers.
We are the largest metal packaging raw materials distributor in the world, with sales to over 100 countries
OUR COMPANY
SteelForce Packaging is a trading, processing and distribution company headquartered in Antwerp, specialized in metal packaging solutions, with local operations in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. It is part of SteelForce Group and it is the global leader in the trading of metal packaging raw materials.
A value proposal based on:
01
Commitment
A life commitment to supplying, advising and promoting the metal packaging industry.
A value proposal based on:
02
Supply guarantee
A track record at anticipating logistics disruption and systematically turning transport drama into competitive advantage.
Supporting the metal packaging industry to clean the world
03
Market intelligence
Why letting the next market trend dominate you, instead of leading the way towards a new industry balance?
THE STRATEGIC SOURCE OF METAL PACKAGING WORLD BRANDS
SUPPLIER CHOICE
Selecting the right product delivers production efficiency while allowing maximum price competitiveness.
DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE
Decreasing customer's inventory, inventing transport solutions, building the most efficient logistic route, finally turning the whole sourcing experience into an easy practice.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Offering the right technical recommendations and following standard processes to make claims legitimate and successful.
KPIs MEASUREMENT
Understanding the results customers are seeking, promoting continuous benchmarking through unmatched industry intelligence, and executing with excellence.
CAPITAL IMPACT
A first-class service that drastically hits working capital, it allows focusing cash on the core of the business where shareholders return in maximized.
HISTORY
The Shareholders
SteelFORCE Group is a Belgian trading company based in Antwerp and in steel since the early 70’. Through the decades, SteelFOaRCE Group has gone through intensive organic and M&A growth, placing it today among the biggest private steel traders in the world, with twenty-eight companies located all over the globe and sales to over eighty countries.
HISTORY
The Shareholders SteelFORCE Group is a Belgian trading company based in Antwerp and in steel since the early 70’. Through the decades, SteelFORCE Group has gone through intensive organic and M&A growth, placing it today among the biggest private steel traders in the world, with twenty-eight companies located all over the globe and sales to over. In addition, the Group allows Steelforce Packaging to count on a global footprint that no other player in the supply of metal-packaging raw materials has.
The Padovani family has been involved with food and metal packaging for four generations so far. Through different eras of its history, the family went from an agency, through service centers, into trading, and finally into today’s “glocal” distribution business model.
The family makes sure Steelforce Packaging can count on technical and global sourcing understandings unequaled within the metal packaging supplies industry. Passionate expertise acquired through a multi-generational tradition in the adjacent food segments is reflected today in Steelforce Packaging’s ability to offer new products for any existing end-use.
Our story began when after one of its life turnarounds, Vittorio Padovani met in Antwerp its old friend Francis Alexander. It was the year 2011, and our two co-founders discussed widely and wildly the opportunities to join forces to give the metal-packaging industry an unprecedented supply combination of global products and local service. One with a whole life in the food and can-manufacturing industry, the other a visionary of global trading forged by its passion for all steel products. They agreed in the first meeting: this was going to be a success...
In 2012 they signed a Memorandum of Understanding as the first act of mutual commitment with common ground rules
2016
In 2016 warehouses were disposed of in Antwerp, Ravenna, and Salerno
2017
In 2017 SteelFORCE Italy was incorporated in a joined venture, to better serve the Italian market with distribution and processing
2018
In 2018 SF Services was incorporated in Salerno (Italy) in joined venture with the Ferrara family and warehouses were established in Spain and Bulgaria.
2019
In 2019 The American Metal-Packaging Company was incorporated in Medellin (Colombia) to serve the Latin American markets through multi-decade expertise acquired with the new local team
The same year, warehouses were organized in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil
In 2019 the joined venture reached for the first time a net yearly invoiced tonnage of two hundred thousand tons, consolidating sales from Europe, Latam, and Africa
2020
At the end of the year 2020, SteelFORCE Group and the Padovani family decided to re-structure their joined business into a specialized metal-packaging group. The new entity was named Steelforce Packaging and it would involve all the metal-packaging units so far jointly developed
2021
In 2021, Steelforce Packaging’s board decided to invest in a new service center in Barranquilla (Colombia). The aim was to reduce the lead time and increase quality control on the sales of lacquered and printed products in the Latin American region. The plant will be completed in Q3 2022
2022
In January 2022, Steelforce Packaging decided to launch the development of a North American sales network, by replicating the successful business model already in place in Europe and Latam. Steelforce Packaging America inc. was incorporated later the same year
In April 2022, Steelforce Packaging Mexicana was incorporated to increase the level of service and commitment to the Mexican market through the difficulties of global logistics
PRODUCTS
Electrolytic Tinplate (ETP)
Download technical datasheet +
Tinplate is a light gauge steel that is electrolytically coated with pure tin for enhanced corrosion protection. It is available in either a highly reflective bright surface, or as a non-reflective matte finish. Tinplate is highly formable and weldable, making it suitable for a wide range of canmaking technologies. Because of its corrosion resistance, a wide variety of food products can be packed in tinplate cans.
Tinplate is ideally suited as a base metal for lithography and organic coatings for items such as decorative tins, aerosol cans, and paint cans. We can process coils, straight and scroll cutting sheets and coated and lithographed sheets, in both cutting type.
Tin Free Steel (TFS)
Download technical datasheet +
Commonly called TFS, tin free steel is actually a light gauge, electolytically coated chromium sheet. It is a more economialternative to tinplate, primarily used for can ends. TFS is an excellent base for organic coatings and lithography. In addition to can ends, TFS is also used for lockseamed can bodies, as well as numerous non-container items. We can process coils, straight and scroll cutting sheets and coated and lithographed sheets, in both cutting type.
Tin Mill Black Plate (TMBP)
Download technical datasheet +
Tin mill black plate is a light gauge steel normally used as raw material for TFS or ETP, however, since prices for those material are rising, TMBP has been used in general applications for non-food uses like decorative cans, dry battery jackets and jewelry boxes. It can be lacquered or printed directly in the conventional lines used in the metal packaging industry. We can process coils, straight and scroll cutting sheets and coated and lithographed sheets, in both cutting type.
Laminated Steel
Laminated steel is a light gauge steel coated with different polymer layers which allow to reduce lacquering operations. Normally, layers of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) or Polypropylene (PP) are used. This material has the same formability features than other metal packaging materials like ETP or TFS, and it can be used for 2 piece food cans, fish cans, aerosols and components for general line. We can process laminated steel in both, coils or straight/ scroll cutting sheets.
Lithographed & Lacquered
Download technical datasheet +
We offer our clients the possibility of delivering lithographed and lacquered, both Tinplate (ETP) and Tin Free Steel (TFS - Electrolytic Chromium Coated Steel.
This refers to the width, length and thickness, which define the number of units of products that will be obtained from each lithographed plate. This searches for the maximum width, the maximum length and the minimum thickness, which in turn reduces the production cost of each element.
Services
Through a daily control of the global demand-offer-costs trends within the metalpackaging industry, we deliver accurate competitiveness assessments. Any sourcing strategy change comes as the result of an investigation process.
- Analyzing past performance, comparing it to industry peers, and evaluating all aspects of the current supply chain, especially those related to the product range and technical requirements
- Drafting an improvement map where the areas with potential are crossed with our four generations’ experience in proposing replacing products from our production partners’ portfolio
- Following, procurement value becomes a set of supply chain goals
- Each goal gets a related action plan, with a precise timeline
Effective procurement actions usually evolve into strategies affecting approximately 20% of can manufacturers total steel and aluminum demand. In the last 10, SFP’s success rate at launching product replacement importing projects has been 92% out of over 250 attempts. Nonetheless, when customers decide not to engage in transitions, they still find mapping results very valuable to confirm their strategies or plan future transitions on their own.
At SFP we believe successful relationships are those built out of trust and continuity. As a response to globalization, and in need of controlling the evolution of political, capacity, and logistics disruption global events, origins analyses are made available to customers in need of staying up to that with present and planned global capacity evolution. The purpose is not to generate short-midterm impacts, but to give organizations’ decision makers the needed visibility to be prepared for tomorrow’s supply-demand balance.
To be up to date with global logistics and regulation dynamics has become a full time job, and we dominate it. Our presence in all steel commodities helps us prevent regulation changes and project their impacts on sources and logistics.
Leveraging Steelforce Group’s experience in steel commodities, SFP pioneered bulk vessels for the metalpackaging industry years before it became a necessity. Thus, loading, unloading, transit, and port challenges are today issues we effectively prevent.
SFP’s proposes to its partners a business model where production planning is paired with local stocking solutions that aim to maximize flexibility to in facing delivery requirements.
There are times in manufacturers’ history when financing becomes a challenge with new projects requiring significant cash resources.
In the sight of this, SFP is fully committed to offering the highest working capital support in the industry. A set of customized financial solutions, that when combined with local stocking, guarantee an unmatched degree of flexibility. Sourcing turns into cash beneficial and financially risk-free exercise
Within global trade, daily sourcing opportunities’ effectiveness usually depends on the ability to turn currencies differences into a competitive advantage. In the years, SFP developed both the capability to buy in all the main steel currencies and to sell with local currency in all its strategic destinations.
Additionally, upon buyers’ request, by anticipating currency hedging, SFP secures price validity throughout negotiations and offsets midterm volatility effects on price
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Partnering with customers on a long-term base to spot sourcing and marketing challenges ahead of time, then leveraging our solutions portfolio to design customized sourcing and marketing strategies that will ultimately mark the difference in our customers’ potential to create value for their shareholders and the environment.
Creating a global metal packaging and food network for raw material producers, industries and retailers to connect with each other and achieve superior results for their stakeholders. At Seal of Quality we have the ambition to widen consumers’ experience with new products and environmentally sustainable packaging solutions.
Corporate partners
CORPORATE
Production partners
PRODUCTION
WHERE OTHERS SEE SOURCING ISSUES, WE SPOT DOORS TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
LEADERSHIP
Claudia Restrepo
Sales director cluster LATAM
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Claudia is a Food Engineer from EAFIT with a specialization in Marketing. Her professional career has focused on the development of metallic containers for the food industry for over 17 years. She is a SAP implementation leader (SD module), and has extensive experience in Sales Management since 2008 in the metallurgy industry, primarily responsible for, Strategic Sales, Operations, and Logistics. Claudia has the experience and technical knowledge to deliver a consistent in-depth walk-through of the entire chain of procedures to our clients.
Davide Padovani
Chief Executive
Born and raised in Naples (Italy), Davide graduated in “Business Administration” at the Bocconi University in Milan in 2003 and he gained a double master’s degree in “International Management” at both the Esade Business School in Barcelona and the Rotterdam School of Management.
He started his career in consulting, specializing in food & beverage companies, with whom he worked for 8 years.
His consulting experience exposed him to precious knowledge of the industry and gave him a deep understanding of the FMCG world, which he successfully exploited for the sake of our Joint Venture success since he first joined to lead it in 2012.
Davide played a key role in the expansion and consolidation of our suppliers base as well as in the opening of new international sales markets, defining specific local strategies for each market and incorporating them in the overall strategic plan for a consolidated growth.
He has also been and still is a key person in the promotion of Steelforce Packaging’s smart sourcing business model around the world.
Guido
Managing Director
Born in Belgium, Guido is a Management Assistant at KUL Leuven University. An Honorably Discharged Veteran, he has extensive professional experience in Exports and Transport with Dandoy, Belgium, and Steelforce NVM. His experience as a trader and Commercial Director for the Latin America markets, has been key to the company’s continued success in LATAM, as well as its extensive development in the far east where he led as General Manager and Marketing Director since 2011.
Gustavo Rojas
Head of Medellín office and LATAM financing
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Gustavo is a Systems Engineer with an MBA and a specialization degree in International Business from EAFIT. From the beginning of his career, He has been involved in the ferrous metallurgy industry, which has given him a vast amount of experience. He has also performed as a leading financial planner and has carried out personalized information systems to develop human logistics and administrative resources. After completing a course in Senior Management in Spain, he went on with his job as CFO, ensuring the financial growth and strength of the companies he has been part of.
Kurt
CEO of Steelforce Group
Born in Belgium, Kurt has a Master’s Degree in Economic Sciences, from Antwerp University Belgium. In 1991, initially in the banking sector, He developed as an Account Manager at Banque INDOSUEZ de BELGIUM, KBC BANK and Artesia Bank. He progressed to the position of Senior Account Manager, which opened the doors to become part of Promatex Belgium (Currently Steelforce) in the position of Chief Financial Officer. Since 2001 he has belonged to the Steelforce group in the position of Chief Executive Officer.
Lorenzo Padovani
Board member and sales director cluster Italy
He was born in Napoli where he graduated in business administration in 2014.
He oversees the local market development since 2021, after developing a strong expertise in Seal of Quality, where he was in charge of the food business entering deeply in every aspect of the business, from managing the commercial strategies and negotiations to dealing with the logistic and administrative dynamics. He was a Product manager from 2014 to 2018, from 2018 he has been successfully responsible for purchasing, upgrading and selling all non-prime choices materials for Steelforce leading him to gain the role of Sales Director Italia at the end of 2022.
Luis G. Jaramillo
Head of Global Sales
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Luis is an Electrical Engineer from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. He also possesses a Master’s Degree in Business Administration of Senior Management, with emphasis on Financial Area and Administration. He was a professor at the Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá in the Faculties of Civil Engineering, Electronics, Systems and Industry. His skill sets have continuously made him in a key part of companies in Colombia, such as Luminex S.A., Industrias Lehner, Aluminio Nacional S.A. and Holasa. Since 2019 until now he is part of American Metal Packaging Company in the position of Managing Director.
Marco Bisogno
Head of Lugano office
Born in Salerno, Italy. Marco has focused his entire managerial career on development and leadership of international companies, both in Italy and abroad. His first professional step was in Milano, were he had the opportunity to work in a private fund with worldwide partnership operating in several industries (trading finance, insurance brokerage, organizational development, large distribution). Following his years in Switzerland – from 1994 to 2001- where he played a leading role in an international steel trading company. He returned to Italy in 2001 where he was Managing director of IPSI SpA (partnership with Pirelli RE) and Gabetti Finance. From 2009 till 2018 he was General Manager of Augusta Offshore international shipping company based in Naples. Since 2018 he has been Managing Director of Seal of Quality in Lugano Switzerland. In 2022 He took over as Head of European Unit at Steelforce Packaging.
Claudia Restrepo
Sales director cluster LATAM
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Claudia is a Food Engineer from EAFIT with a specialization in Marketing. Her professional career has focused on the development of metallic containers for the food industry for over 17 years. She is a SAP implementation leader (SD module), and has extensive experience in Sales Management since 2008 in the metallurgy industry, primarily responsible for, Strategic Sales, Operations, and Logistics. Claudia has the experience and technical knowledge to deliver a consistent in-depth walk-through of the entire chain of procedures to our clients.
Davide Padovani
Chief Executive
Born and raised in Naples (Italy), Davide graduated in “Business Administration” at the Bocconi University in Milan in 2003 and he gained a double master’s degree in “International Management” at both the Esade Business School in Barcelona and the Rotterdam School of Management.
He started his career in consulting, specializing in food & beverage companies, with whom he worked for 8 years.
His consulting experience exposed him to precious knowledge of the industry and gave him a deep understanding of the FMCG world, which he successfully exploited for the sake of our Joint Venture success since he first joined to lead it in 2012.
Davide played a key role in the expansion and consolidation of our suppliers base as well as in the opening of new international sales markets, defining specific local strategies for each market and incorporating them in the overall strategic plan for a consolidated growth.
He has also been and still is a key person in the promotion of Steelforce Packaging’s smart sourcing business model around the world.
Guido
Managing Director
Born in Belgium, Guido is a Management Assistant at KUL Leuven University. An Honorably Discharged Veteran, he has extensive professional experience in Exports and Transport with Dandoy, Belgium, and Steelforce NVM. His experience as a trader and Commercial Director for the Latin America markets, has been key to the company’s continued success in LATAM, as well as its extensive development in the far east where he led as General Manager and Marketing Director since 2011.
Gustavo Rojas
Head of Medellín office and LATAM financing
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Gustavo is a Systems Engineer with an MBA and a specialization degree in International Business from EAFIT. From the beginning of his career, He has been involved in the ferrous metallurgy industry, which has given him a vast amount of experience. He has also performed as a leading financial planner and has carried out personalized information systems to develop human logistics and administrative resources. After completing a course in Senior Management in Spain, he went on with his job as CFO, ensuring the financial growth and strength of the companies he has been part of.
Kurt
CEO of Steelforce Group
Born in Belgium, Kurt has a Master’s Degree in Economic Sciences, from Antwerp University Belgium. In 1991, initially in the banking sector, He developed as an Account Manager at Banque INDOSUEZ de BELGIUM, KBC BANK and Artesia Bank. He progressed to the position of Senior Account Manager, which opened the doors to become part of Promatex Belgium (Currently Steelforce) in the position of Chief Financial Officer. Since 2001 he has belonged to the Steelforce group in the position of Chief Executive Officer.
Lorenzo Padovani
Board member and sales director cluster Italy
He was born in Napoli where he graduated in business administration in 2014.
He oversees the local market development since 2021, after developing a strong expertise in Seal of Quality, where he was in charge of the food business entering deeply in every aspect of the business, from managing the commercial strategies and negotiations to dealing with the logistic and administrative dynamics. He was a Product manager from 2014 to 2018, from 2018 he has been successfully responsible for purchasing, upgrading and selling all non-prime choices materials for Steelforce leading him to gain the role of Sales Director Italia at the end of 2022.
Luis G. Jaramillo
Head of Global Sales
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Luis is an Electrical Engineer from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. He also possesses a Master’s Degree in Business Administration of Senior Management, with emphasis on Financial Area and Administration. He was a professor at the Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá in the Faculties of Civil Engineering, Electronics, Systems and Industry. His skill sets have continuously made him in a key part of companies in Colombia, such as Luminex S.A., Industrias Lehner, Aluminio Nacional S.A. and Holasa. Since 2019 until now he is part of American Metal Packaging Company in the position of Managing Director.
Marco Bisogno
Head of Lugano office
Born in Salerno, Italy. Marco has focused his entire managerial career on development and leadership of international companies, both in Italy and abroad. His first professional step was in Milano, were he had the opportunity to work in a private fund with worldwide partnership operating in several industries (trading finance, insurance brokerage, organizational development, large distribution). Following his years in Switzerland – from 1994 to 2001- where he played a leading role in an international steel trading company. He returned to Italy in 2001 where he was Managing director of IPSI SpA (partnership with Pirelli RE) and Gabetti Finance. From 2009 till 2018 he was General Manager of Augusta Offshore international shipping company based in Naples. Since 2018 he has been Managing Director of Seal of Quality in Lugano Switzerland. In 2022 He took over as Head of European Unit at Steelforce Packaging.
KEY LOCATIONS
BELGIUM
SteelForce Packaging B.V.
Antwerp - Principal Headquarters
Lange Klarenstraat 16-20/ 2000, BE
+32 32241080
CHINA
SFP Chinese Sourcing
Room 902, No. 555 Langao Road, Putuo District, Shanghai, China
+86 (0) 2158302605
COLOMBIA
The American Metal Packaging Company S.A.S
One Plaza Business Center
Cra. 43A #5A – 113 / Torre Sur / Oficina 412 - Medellín, Colombia
+57 323 416 6816
Steelforce Packaging Industrial
Calle 7 MZ 18 LT 285 A 287 - Zona Franca Zofia, Galapa, Barranquilla, Colombia
+57 301 447 1708
ITALY
Steelforce Italy s.r.l
Via Francesco Carrara n.24
00126 Rome - Italy
SF Services
Via Mandrizzo, Fisciano, Salerno, 84084, Italy
MEXICO
Steelforce Packaging Mexicana
Av. Antonio Lavoisier SN
MZ 1 LT 7 y 8 y ESQ Gonzalez Camarena
Parque Industrial Cuamat. C.P 54716 - Cautitlan Izcalli, Mexico City, Mexico
+ 57 323 416 6816
USA
Steelforce Packaging America inc.
2009 Mackenzie way - Suite 100
Cranberry Township Pittsburgh, PA, 16066, US
14 Wall ST, New York, NY, 10005, US
+1 212 618 1644
SWITZERLAND
Seal of Quality
Via Zorzi 28, Paradiso, Ticino 6900, CH
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