Elcowire KME Hettstedt Acquisition Doubles Copper Rod Output
Elcowire (visit Elcowire) has signed an agreement to acquire KME’s rod and wire assets and business in Hettstedt, Germany, including around 180 employees. The Elcowire KME Hettstedt acquisition significantly strengthens Elcowire’s position as a European copper rod and wire specialist.
With this deal, Elcowire plans to grow both its production scale and its customer reach across key electrical and infrastructure markets.
How the Elcowire KME Hettstedt Acquisition Expands Capacity
Elcowire notes that the transaction will double its copper rod capacity to 300,000 metric tons per year. The Hettstedt site adds a large share of the market and introduces a broad range of wire and strand capabilities, which support applications such as power transmission, rail, and industrial installations.
The company explains that the acquisition will give Elcowire access to a larger customer base, a wider product portfolio, and broader geographic coverage across Europe.
Strategic Fit, Lower CO₂ Footprint, and Business Units
“Elcowire KME Hettstedt acquisition has a perfect strategic fit,” said Paul Gustavsson, CEO of Elcowire Group. He emphasized that the added capacity and capability enable Elcowire to serve a wider product range and larger market, while also contributing to a substantially lower CO₂ footprint thanks to optimized production and logistics.
Together with existing operations in Sweden and Germany, Elcowire will become a much stronger player in rod and wire, enhancing its value‑added offering across business units such as Rod, Rail, High Voltage, Specials, and Wire & Strands. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval.
Elcowire and KME: Leading Copper Players in Europe
Elcowire ranks among Europe’s leading suppliers of copper and aluminum wire rod‑based solutions for the electrical and infrastructure industries, with operations in Sweden (Helsingborg) and Germany (Hettstedt) and about 400 employees.
The KME Group, meanwhile, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of copper and copper alloy products, with a strong portfolio of rolled products, tubes, bars, and specialized copper solutions. This background makes the Hettstedt assets a natural fit within Elcowire’s growth strategy.
