1979 Bruno Bolfo, Chairman of the Board, and a group of other steel professionals to exploit the advantages of “emerging markets” in steel production established Duferco. Based in New York and Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Company, through its relationship with local steel producers, quickly became the leading independent exporter of Brazilian steel throughout the World.

In the early 1980s, using its success in Brazil as a springboard, Duferco began to source steel products in other Countries. Firstly in other South American Countries, with its largest success in Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico, than in North America and Europe, with the first European office opening in London in 1981 and a chain of offices during the late 1980s. After Thailand, the Company opened offices in Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and South Korea.

In the mid-1990s, the Company opened a large number of offices in Eastern Europe, putting in place an infrastructure in anticipation of the growth of the area as an export market. Duferco also launched ancillary trading operations in the field of raw materials primarily related to the steel industry, such as coke, coal, iron ore, scrap, pig iron, D.R.I. and related products, maximizing its contacts with steel producers throughout the World.

The abilty of the Duferco’s key-pepole lead the Company to exploit two occurrences in the mid-1990s in Europe as true growth-opportunities.

This long, exciting and intense phase ended in 2011 with the disposal of the shareholding or the controlling stake of the majority of the Industrial Units, in favor of a new horizon made of Energy.

Following the intuition of its key-manager, Duferco disposed the steel production and founded Duferco Energia SpA, to manage the growing corporate investments in the renewable energy production, and to lead the commercialization of Energy and Gas in the Italian Market.

Today Retail Operations became part of a portfolio of activities that includes significant projects in the Renewable Power Production, as well as Renewable Power Origination.

While maintaining a significant minority stake in DITH, Duferco has strategically decided to leave its historical core business and focus on its new diversified operations.

Following the disposal of the controlling stake of the steel trading arm to Hesteel Group, sees Duferco as a diversified investor with main focus on three areas:

1. Energy (trading, renewable power production, origination and retail)
2. Shipping
3. Industry (steel production and distribution)

The legacy with the past and the ability to capture fundamental trends in the business is a key heritage that has been deeply consolidated into the mind-set of the “people of Duferco” over the years and that is now going to be the basis for the future developments of the Group.