The steel industry usually stays out of public interest as it is typically traded in the B2B or business-to-business sector. This, however, is soon to change, according to Union Steel, a runner-up steelmaker specializing in treating high-quality special purpose steel sheets.

“We may be a steel company but our key rivals in the future will be luxury interior material makers such as Italian wallpaper or marble manufacturers,” said Chang Sae-wook, CEO of Union Steel.

The medium-sized company, since 1985, has been affiliated with Dongkuk Steel, the nation’s third-largest steelmaker.

Union Steel, which has long specialized in high-quality surface-treated steel sheets, presented last week its new home appliance steel brand, Appsteel.

The brand name, which is a compound of “Appliance” and “Steel,” was chosen through a social network service contest.

“Usually traded from business to business, steel has always been excluded from consumer marketing,” Chang said.

“It was our intention to change this trend and to add a consumer-friendly color to our products.”

In addition to the already-existing color-printed steel sheet lines, Appsteel also includes two new products: Uniglass and Unitex.

Uniglass, characterized by its glass-like visibility and high-luster surface, has a penetration ratio of 92 percent, which is almost as high as that of glass, officials said.

Because of this unique characteristic, the material may replace tempered glass but still offer steel-level durability.

Unitex is an ultraviolet texture color sheet which may display various textures, varying from wood and leather to embossing. Both display subtle textures, thanks to the ultraviolet coating technology, which is also highly eco-friendly, officials explained.

“With these various color and texture steel lines, Union Steel has won an unrivaled position in the market, especially as demand for patterned home appliances is rising by the year,” Chang said.

Appsteel was not Union Steel’s first such pioneering move in the local steel industry.

Back in 2011, it launched its high-class construction material steel brand “Luxteel,” which combines “Luxury” and “Steel.”

It was, in fact, the success of Luxteel that encouraged the development of Appsteel, according to officials.

“Before Luxteel, no one had ever thought of an individual steel brand,” Chang said.

He also adopted an unprecedented sales and marketing strategy, holding a presentation session for interior designers and constructors ― a method referred as B2D, or business to designer.

Boosted by the positive response from the corresponding industry, the brand has made visible advancements into the market and is expected to achieve 65 percent growth this year, according to company officials.

“It has now become quite common for major clients to designate Luxteel in their construction and interior contracts,” the CEO said.

In the case of Appsteel, which is to be applied to consumer items such as refrigerators and air conditioners, the steelmaker took a step further and applied a business-to-consumer marketing strategy.

“We expect that there will come a day when the name Appsteel will be marked on home appliances, adding a touch of prestige to the completed product,” Chang said.

“Steel will no longer remain a hidden industrial material but evolve into a consumer-friendly one.”

Despite high hopes, the steelmaker is also faced with various barriers, including the relatively high price of color steel sheets.

“In order to position ourselves in the market, we have to rise above other luxury material brands, not just above other steelmakers,” Chang said.

As a solution, the company hopes to build up its manufacturing capacities.

“Considering the ongoing struggles of the steel industry, it would be unwise to expand the number or size of the manufacturing sites,” the CEO said.

“Our strategy is to adopt a small-quantity batch production system in order to meet various customer demands.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)