Metal Industry  Manufacturers, Traders, Suppliers

The metal industry is the grouping of all companies that are involved in the non-industrial processing of metals. The companies of the metal industry are often divided into the areas. Steel industry, non-ferrous metals, metal industry, light metals, non-ferrous metals, precious and special metals, foundry industry, steel and metal processing. Another subdivision differentiates according to processing stages, e.g. cold drawing, casting, forging. The metal industry is one of the most important branches of industry in Germany. At the end of 2003, almost 100 companies with 94,500 employees were active in the German steel industry. In crude steel production, Germany ranks sixth behind China, Japan, the USA, Russia and South Korea. The industrial sector of the non-ferrous metals industry comprised about 660 companies with a total of approx. 112,000 employees. Some 42,000 people were employed in the 267 industrial foundries and 440,000 in the 4,400 steel and metal processing companies. In Germany, the metal industry is predominantly organized as a medium-sized enterprise, apart from some leading international companies such as Thyssen-Krupp AG and MAN AG. The lobby of the companies is represented by the German Steel and Metal Processing Association (Wirtschaftsverband Stahl- und Metallverarbeitung e.V.). (WSM) is perceived. Companies in the metal industry that are bound by collective wage agreements are generally organised in a member association of the Gesamtverband der metallindustriellen Arbeitgeberverbände e.V. (General Association of Metal Industry Employers' Associations). Unionically organised workers in the metal industry are generally organised in IG Metall. Professions in the metal industry. This is a term that is mainly used in Germany, for example, plant mechanics, industrial mechanics, construction mechanics, cutting machine operators and tool mechanics.