Outokumpu is a group of companies heaquartered in Espoo, Finland, aimed at stainless steel and technology. Outokumpu has three sites in the United Kingdom, in Sheffield, Stocksbridge and Blackburn. Worldwide the company has 10,800 employees in some 30 different countries. Until ca 2000 turnover of copper products was bigger than that of the rolled stainless steel products. Outokumpu was several decades known mainly as a mining and metallurgical company. Now, there is the last operational mine in Kemi for ferrochrome ore. The copper branch was sold for major part in 2005. The zinc branch was merged with the Swedish company Boliden but later, in 2005, Outokumpu sold all Boliden shares. The coldrolling mill in Sheffield was closed during 2006, as one of the consequences of the company-wide fixed cost reduction (by 10%). The meltingshop in Sheffield continues producing material for long products.