GMH Gruppe Consolidates Open-Die Forging Group: Kind & Co., Schmiedewerke Gröditz and Buderus Edelstahl aligned under a unified industrial structure

As part of its integration of Kind & Co. and Buderus Edelstahl into the group, GMH Gruppe is now combining both companies into a single Open-Die Forging Group together with Schmiedewerke Gröditz. This step constitutes a central element of the group’s transformation strategy and is intended to strengthen its position in Europe’s tool steel and open-die forging markets. To support the integration and further develop the group’s capabilities, GMH Gruppe will invest around €30 million across the Open-Die Forging Group.

The consolidation focuses on coordinated production planning, metallurgy, logistics, and sales across the three entities. GMH Gruppe expects efficiency gains through joint capacity management, aligned processes, and the consolidation of interfaces.

Precise positioning of the three brands within GMH Gruppe

The integrated group assigns each company a defined industrial focus:

• Kind & Co. – Hot-work, premium, and remelted tool steels for technically demanding applications, with a strong focus on end-user business, including technical application support and vacuum hardening services.
• Schmiedewerke Gröditz – Elaborated open-die forgings, rolled rings, engineering steels, and engineered forged components for plastic moulding, as well as stainless steel and remelted steel (ESR).
• Buderus Edelstahl – Full-service tool steel provider for large components, plastic moulding, tool holders and die bolsters, with high machining depth and engineering steels.

This clear differentiation allows GMH Gruppe to address distinct customer requirements across a wide range of applications. By offering standard, performance-optimised, and premium solutions within the Open-Die Forging Group, GMH Gruppe enables customers to select the solution best suited to their technical requirements and expected service life, thereby supporting operational efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership.

Together, the three companies cover the full tool steel and open-die forging value chain — from scrap and melting to remelting, forging, machining, heat treatment, and distribution.

Broad portfolio: From commodity grades to premium remelted steels

Across the integrated group, more than 400 steel grades and over 2,500 analysis modifications are available, ranging from commodity tool steels to high-end remelted qualities.

Production also includes small quantities and small-format components, supplied directly from a single source. This flexibility is relevant for industries requiring short runs, prototypes, or specialised geometries.

“With the merger of Kind & Co., Schmiedewerke Gröditz and Buderus Edelstahl into the GMH Open-Die Forging Group, we are bringing together three strong companies to form an organisation with a unique product and service portfolio. As a full-service provider of highly complex open-die forgings, tool steel, engineering steel, and seamless rolled rings, we offer our customers fully integrated solutions from a single source – ranging from technological consulting for demanding applications to in-house steel production and refining, forging operations, heat treatment, and complex machining. This depth of value creation enables efficient, well-coordinated processes and ensures the highest quality and a reliable supply for our valued customers,” explains Dr. Alexander Becker, the CEO of GMH Gruppe.

Contribution to industrial supply security

The integration aligns with increasing demand for reliable European sourcing in sectors such as automotive, mechanical engineering, and die-casting. Combined inventories in Germany, Italy, China, and the USA are intended to improve material availability and mitigate volatility in international supply chains. Annual output across the integrated portfolio exceeds 100,000 tonnes.

The collaboration between Kind & Co., Schmiedewerke Gröditz, and Buderus Edelstahl brings together complementary expertise across the entire value chain. For customers, deliberate overlaps in critical procedural steps increase the company’s resilience, strengthen GMH Gruppe’s position in Europe, and enhance supply security, enabling the group to serve its markets more reliably and efficiently.

Targeted investments to support the integration

The €30 million investment program includes:

• A new ladle car (Gießwagen) at Schmiedewerke Gröditz (higher production output and higher purity).
• A new hardening furnace for large structural and Gigacasting parts in Bielstein (increased capacity and vacuum-hardening capabilities for larger components, enabling new market opportunities).
• Relocation of energy-efficient forging furnaces from Wetzlar to Gröditz (lower gas consumption and reduced carbon emissions).
• Additional modernisation measures across the Open-Die Forging Group.

These investments are intended to expand capacity, increase energy efficiency, and modernise production technology.

CO₂ performance and process route

GMH Gruppe continues to rely exclusively on electric-furnace production and recycled scrap, achieving CO₂ reductions of up to 80% compared with conventional blast-furnace routes.