Votorantim Siderurgia and businessman Alexandre Grendene Bartelle signed an agreement this Tuesday (17/11) to establish a joint venture – a union between the two companies each of them controlling 50% – to build Sitrel – Siderurgia Três Lagoas, in Mato Grosso do Sul. "Votorantim Siderurgia’s knowledge of the sector and its management strength were determining factors in our decision to invest in this Project. We believe in the development of Três Lagoas and we intend to contribute to its growth", states Alexandre Grendene Bartelle, president of the Grendene Group.

The production of the new plant will look for synergies with the recently inaugurated Votorantim Siderurgia mill at Resende, in Rio de Janeiro, which has a production capacity of 1 million tons a year of billets. Sitrel is expected to come on stream in 2012 with a plant to laminate rebars and wire rod, using the billets from Resende as raw material.
 
"Votorantim Siderurgia will be responsible for the implementation, management and operation of the business and for sales of products, which together with the Resende and Barra Mansa mills will help the company on its way to consolidation as a major player in the Brazilian steel-making market", points out Albano Chagas Vieira, managing director of Votorantim Siderurgia.