France-based SS plate processor Jacquet Metals is making plans to extend its network of operations in Europe, the USA and Asia. Encouraged by favourable market conditions, it intends to open ten new logistics centres in all three regions over the next two years. Expansions will be completed this year at Jacquet’s service centres in Milan, Italy and Liège, Belgium. Processing capacity in Milan will be increased two and a half times with the addition of a completely new factory, while capacity at Liège will be doubled with the addition new machines and cranes. New service centres are being built in Pinsdorf, Austria (to be operational in September), Saragossa, Spain (October), Gdansk, Poland (November) and Berlin, Germany (December). Following the opening of Jacquet’s second North American site in Houston, Texas last month, two more service centres are due on stream in Los Angeles and Chicago at the end of the year or early 2008. At around the same time, the group’s second Chinese service centre will be opened in Taiyuan, near Tisco which is already a supplier to Jacquet.
