Webinar
Webinar Recording: Strategically Securing Aluminum in Volatile Times – How HYMER Leichtmetallbau Ensures Quality, Compliance, and Supply Security
Record-high aluminum prices, soaring energy and logistics costs, and tighter regulatory requirements from CBAM and ESG mandates present immense challenges for procurement teams today. In the webinar "Strategically Securing Aluminum in Volatile Times – How HYMER Leichtmetallbau Ensures Quality, Compliance & Supply Security," Brian Neumann (Strategic Buyer, HYMER) and Julius Reinboth (Business Development, Tacto) share their best practices: They show how to make location- and supplier-strategic decisions and define hedging triggers – without letting operational effort spiral out of control.
Starting Point – The Four Biggest Pain Points
- Price volatility - LME price swings and rising energy costs make budget planning and costing difficult.
- Global dependencies - Over 55% of world production is in China – a risk amid political tensions.
- Regulatory pressure - CBAM, ESG documentation, and tier-N transparency increase documentation effort.
- Limited capacities - European extrusion plants are at full capacity, lead times are getting longer, specialty profiles are becoming scarce.
HYMER's Approach
1. Strategic location selection - Suppliers almost exclusively in politically stable EU countries; risky regions (e.g., Serbia) are systematically avoided.
2. Forward-looking hedging for price protection - Exchange and currency signals determine the hedging timing – price risks are proactively managed, not reactively endured.
3. CBAM & regulatory readiness - Internal processes and data capture are set up to meet current requirements – while maintaining enough flexibility to easily accommodate future regulatory steps.
Key Takeaways for Commodity Procurement
- Evaluate locations strategically – political stability, energy prices, and ESG standards belong in an integrated risk assessment.
- Hedging as protection – Price hedges with clearly defined triggers measurably reduce budget uncertainties.
- Embed regulatory fitness early – CBAM reports and CO₂ documentation can only be delivered on time with complete supplier data.
- Transparency instead of Excel sprints – A central data and document platform reduces manual effort and prevents compliance gaps.
- Quality beats cheap imports – Apparent price advantages from low-wage countries disappear once inspection and transport costs are factored in.
- Keep cost factors in view – With cost modeling analyses, energy, freight, and commodity costs per item can be systematically tracked and targeted for reduction.
Conclusion
Aluminum remains a critical lever for costs, quality, and supply. HYMER shows: Those who choose locations wisely, hedge prices, and integrate CBAM compliance turn risks into competitive advantages. Digital transparency with Tacto makes the difference between reactive crisis management and proactive control.
Brian Neumann (HYMER) and Julius Reinboth (Tacto) show how modern aluminum procurement works across three levers: location selection in geopolitically stable regions, data-driven hedging via exchange and currency rates, and automated cost modeling of all price drivers. Ongoing LME monitoring and close coordination with extrusion plants give procurement teams transparency to assess risks early and prevent material shortages – turning procurement into a proactive value driver.
