Rasoul Danial Zadeh (Persian: رسول دانیال زاده ;born 24 April 1959) is an entrepreneur, industrialist, and the biggest steel producer in Iran’s private sector.
1- Early life and education
On April 24, 1959, Rasoul Danial Zadeh was born in Tehran. He has three children from his 1981 marriage. He has been working and studying since he was a youngster, and during several decades of industrial activity, he has become one of the major steel manufacturers. In 1993, Danial Zadeh was introduced as Iran’s most successful industrialist in the steel industry.
2- Career
Rasoul Danial Zadeh’s industrial activity began with constructing a workshop for building profiles near Abali, where 80 people were engaged. Therefore, he entered the steel product manufacturing industry. Then, he expanded the business and constructed factories that produced galvanized pipes, profiles, and sections. In Semnan, he produced all types of galvanized and colored sheets, becoming one of the largest manufacturers in this industry. To conclude the production chain for steel products, he established the Ferro Gilan Complex in 2003. After Mobarakeh Steel Company, this complex is the most significant manufacturer of hot and cold steel sheets. To round out his product portfolio, he also acquired considerable shares of Kaavian Steel Company, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of plate mill. More than 5,000 people are directly employed by this large industrial group, and nearly 20,000 are indirectly employed. The products produced by these businesses nourish more than 400 small and medium-sized businesses across the country. In order to expedite administrative operations and support its various development initiatives, it also establishes Metal Sanat, a manufacturer of metal instruments, and provides engineering services in this field. This collection of factories is the largest production group in the country’s private sector, contributing considerably to employment and production.
3- Managed Companies
3-1- Ferro Gilan Complex
Under the direction of Rasoul Danial Zadeh, this corporation commenced operations in 2003 as the country’s largest private producer of rolled steel. This complex contains three production lines for hot, cold, and galvanized sheets; the annual capacity of the heated sheets production line is 1,200,000 tons. After the REVAMP initiative is completed, annual production will reach 2 million tons. The power of the cold rolling plant is 800,000 tons per year.
Since the end of 2021, this complex’s galvanized sheet production line, with an annual capacity of 150,000 tons, has been operational. Acceptable-quality Ferro Gilan Complex products are used as basic materials in various industries, including the automobile, conduit, and construction industries.
Rasoul Danial Zadeh’s establishment of this massive industrial complex has improved the province’s other economic indicators and substantially increased Gilan’s capacity to generate sustainable employment. Over 1200 individuals currently staff this complex.
3-2- Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories Co.
Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories Co. was founded in 1993 in Semnan Industrial City to manufacture all types of pipes and profiles. This group’s spectrum of activities grew in subsequent years to increase the quantity and quality of its products and diversify its offerings. The primary concentration of this group’s first factory was the production of all varieties of half-inch to six-inch diameter pipes and profiles. Due to the market’s strong demand for a wider variety of pipe and profile diameters and galvanized sections, additional lines were added to this collection in 2001, and the capacity to manufacture these products was also made available. The production of large-diameter pipelines and lengthy galvanized sections was another step taken to expand the complex’s capacity, utilized in multiple development projects. In 2003, it was conceivable to produce large pipelines up to 40 inches in diameter, and by 2020, 12-meter galvanized sections would be feasible. This group has also established a fully mechanized, independent pipe-making plant that can produce all types of pipelines from 8 to 24 inches in diameter.
All types of industrial and construction pipes, all kinds of open/closed profiles, all sorts of high-size lines with particular applications, and all types of galvanized sections are among the products of this company. This group’s nominal production capacity is 1 million and ten thousand tons annually and employs more than three hundred people.
3-3- Danial Steel Company (production of colored and galvanized sheets)
This factory formerly operated as a subsidiary of Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories Co. In 2021, it became a legally distinct entity. This factory is located in the industrial city of Semnan and has two production lines for galvanized sheets and one for colored sheets. This factory’s two galvanized sheet lines have a combined production capacity of 390 thousand tons per year, while the colored sheet line has a total of 150 thousand tons per year. To complete the value chain and reduce production costs, the development plan for the construction of acid washing and cold rolling units in this company has been on the agenda for the past few years, and the stages of study and design, purchase of related machines and infrastructures, and installation of the devices have been completed, and the units are currently being constructed. The implementation of this development plan is anticipated to occur by mid-2023. This project’s acid washing unit will have an annual production capacity of 350 thousand tons, while the cold rolling team will have 250 thousand tons. After the acid washing and cold rolling facilities begin operations, the number of employees at this company will increase to more than 500.
3-4- Kaavian Steel Company
Kaavian Steel Company was founded in Ahvaz, Iran, in December 1991 as the country’s first manufacturer of thick steel sheets. This factory has an annual nominal production capacity of 1.15 million tons of 8 to 50-millimeter-thick sheets. The products of this factory have a variety of applications and are used as basic materials in numerous industries, such as construction and shipbuilding. In addition to numerous certifications, this corporation possesses the national standard mark number 3694 from the Iranian Institute of Standards and Industrial Research. After its establishment and operation, this company has provided thousands of people with stable employment over the years, and it currently employs over 700 people. Due to its proximity to Iran’s central rail and road carriers, the location of this factory has afforded the company a favorable opportunity to distribute its products to domestic markets. On the other hand, the proximity to the Arvand Free Zone and the ports of Khorramshahr and Emam Khomeyni is a competitive advantage for exporting its products to other countries, particularly the extensive Persian Gulf markets.
3-5- Metal Sanat Company
In the construction and metal industries, Metal Sanat factories have been designing, manufacturing, and installing all types of light and heavy metal structures and engineering services for the past 18 years. With over 90,000 square meters of space, including 16,000 square meters of covered space in three buildings outfitted with various automatic and semi-automatic devices, this company is among the most recognizable in its industry. It has a monthly production capacity of two thousand tons. Metal Sanat achieved ISO 3834 and ISO 9001 certifications in 2019. The Metal Sanat group’s three facilities contain seven production halls and the following machinery.
1- Automatic assembly and H Beam Box Beam welding production line
2- Six scissors (2 to 6 meters) with the ability to cut sheets from 4 to 25 mm
3- Five CNC hotwire cutting machines for cutting shapes and threads with the ability to cut sheets up to 120 mm
4- Fully automatic and semi-automatic gate sub-powder welding machines
5- 2CO welding machines and rectifiers, radial drills, punches, hall and gantry cranes with tonnages of 3 to 25 tons and forklifts of 7 to 15 tons, unrolling devices up to 25 mm in the required length
6- Three-axis CNC machine for simultaneous drilling of beams in three axes
4- Development plans in the factories of the group of companies
Some of Rasoul Danial Zadeh’s development plans to increase the quantity and quality of steel chain products, as well as to diversify them, include the following:
4-1- REVAMP Development Plan of Ferro Gilan Complex Hot Rolling Line
The rising trend of demand in the domestic market and the possibility of acquiring a larger market share in export markets prompted Danial Zadeh to include the possibility of enhancing production in terms of quantity and quality. In 2018, this increase in quantitative and qualitative capacity was implemented via the REVAMP project of the hot rolling line at the Ferro Gilan Complex. In this regard, consultants, designers, and extensive European and Chinese companies frequently visited this complex. Finally, the preliminary plans for extraction and the implementation phases of the project have begun, and it is anticipated to be operational by mid-2023. In addition to improving product quality, implementing this project will increase the complex’s annual production of hot sheets to 2 million tons from the current 1.2 million tons. Numerous aspects of this extensive development project, ranging from design to implementation, have been completed by domestic specialists. The REVAMP hot rolling line project has been one of the most significant projects carried out in Gilan for several years. Once operational, it will increase the industrial complex’s capacity to provide employment.
4-2- Development plan to create acid washing and cold rolling units in the Danial Steel factory
The purpose of implementing this plan is to complete the value chain and diversify the product portfolio of the Danial company, whose studies and design have been ongoing for several years and whose implementation involves the construction of infrastructure and machinery. It is anticipated that it will be operational by mid-2023. This plan’s acid washing unit has a production capacity of 350 thousand tons per year, and the cold rolling unit has a production capacity of 250 thousand tons per year, which will result in the employment of more than 300 individuals following its implementation.
4-3- Development plan to create a production unit for 12 meters long galvanized pipes and sections in Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories
With the implementation of this plan at Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories, they will be able to galvanize all types of steel sections, including pipelines, profiles, and other steel structures up to 12 meters in length. This project’s outputs have export potential and are utilized in various industries, including electricity and greenhouse construction.
4-4- Development plan to create a production unit of galvanized sheets with TOC coating in the Danial Steel factory
The production plan for Thin Organic Coating (TOC) by Danial Steel Company is currently undergoing initial study and feasibility testing and will shortly enter the implementation phase. This production method will reduce environmental impacts and increase the export potential of such products. Furthermore, the items created by this method are a perfect substitute for colored sheets.
4-5- Development plan to create a refinery unit to produce all kinds of oils and lubrication items in Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories
According to the requirements of each steel factory for all types of industrial oils and other lubricants, a production plan for these products has been developed to ensure self-sufficiency and meet the needs of the group’s factories. This plan is finalized, including the positioning and selection of machines and construction contractors. With its launch, while creating new employment opportunities, the group of companies will no longer need to purchase these items and will become a supplier to related industries.
4-6- Development plan to create a production unit for galvanized sheets in Ferro Gilan Complex
The Ferro Gilan Complex’s 2018 agenda includes the implementation phases of this development plan, which will be put into operation in the middle of 2021, following the initial design and studies. The primary objective of this project was to complete the value chain, add a variety of galvanized sheets to the product portfolio, and increase the complex’s capacity to employ 300 individuals. This new line has an annual capacity of 150,000 tons of galvanized sheets, covering the markets of the north and northwest of Iran and increasing the complex’s export capacity.
4-7- The development plan to create material and product warehouses in a new way in Ferro Gilan Complex
Storage of raw materials and finished steel products is one of the essential requirements of the heavy steel industry. The exposure of these materials and products to wind and rain degrades their quality. In contrast, correctly positioning these units within the overall architecture of factories reduces production time and costs. For this reason, the large storage facility for such goods was placed on the 2020 agenda, and it is now complete and in operation.
4-8- The development plan for the creation of welfare and medical and health units for employees in the Ferro Gilan Complex
Following social responsibilities, welfare concerns, and occupational health and treatment, the Ferro Gilan Complex, operated and utilized by employees since the end of 2020, had a development plan on its agenda. Facilities such as a conference hall and amphitheater, a medical clinic with all treatment facilities, dressing rooms, sanitary facilities, a restaurant, and a mosque inspired by Iranian artistic, religious, and cultural elements have been planned and constructed as part of this project. Creating a set of conservatories in the factory environment, whose produce is accessible to the employees, is an alternative possibility for this plan.
4-9- Development plan for the production of 2-meter wide plates in Kaavian Steel company
One development strategy implemented by Kaavian Steel Company involves the production of 2-meter-wide plates. By exploiting it, a significant part of Iran’s downstream industries’ requirements will be met, and the export potential of this company will increase.
5- Investment in the housing sector
In addition to his industrial endeavors, Rasoul Danial Zadeh has made significant investments in housing and construction. The buildings he constructed are over 300,000 square meters in size and were constructed in various areas of Tehran, some of which are described below.
5-1- Roma Residence Building
This 20-story, 70,000-square-meter building is constructed in a classical design with a unique metal flexible frame structure. In addition to reducing the building’s inert waste, efforts have been made to increase its resistance to earthquakes through construction. This complex encompasses 65 residential units (400 to 1400 square meters) and seven sizable commercial units.
5-2- Roma Center Building
Modern office and commercial facilities are housed in this 19-story, 25,000-square-meter building with a unique bending-frame metal structure and a bending frame spanning 19 stories. The seven lowest levels of this structure have been excavated using the top-down method to streamline the excavation process.
5-3- The twin towers of Royal Residence and Flora Residence
These two buildings are located in one of the suburbs of Tehran’s Farmanieh district, each with a footprint of 22,000 square meters and 18 stories. For the first time, imported prefabricated materials have been incorporated into the construction of these buildings to increase their earthquake resistance.
5-4- Pars Prince 1 and 2 residential towers
The two mentioned buildings are located in Tehran’s fifth district, and each has a surface area of approximately 23,000 square meters and a unique metal bending frame. One positive objective has been increasing resident services by establishing exceptional amenities and facilities.
5-5- Tehranpars commercial-service complex
This commercial complex was constructed 18,000 square meters east of Tehran. In addition to commercial units, it contains one of District 4’s largest reception halls, with a large capacity for significant events.
5-6- Amir Kabir commercial-service complex
This building, located in the southern part of Tehran, is one of the country’s largest hall complexes, containing 24 business units and 24 reception halls in approximately 35,000 square meters. In addition, the complex’s proximity to Tehran’s primary cemetery has made it one of the venues for ceremonies in the province’s southern region.
5-7- Tavous Condominium Complex
This 11-story, 10,000-square-meter project is situated in the Kamranieh neighborhood. Its unique architecture distinguishes this structure, and the final joinery is made from exposed concrete.
6- Activities outside Iran
Rasoul Danial Zadeh’s collaborative commercial and industrial activities with Germany began 30 years ago when Semnan Rolling & Pipe Factories purchased pipe production lines and various industrial equipment, including several welding machines from Siemens and AEG. With the acquisition of permanent residency in Germany and procuring a hot rolling production line for the Ferro Gilan Complex, these activities proceeded on a larger scale beginning in 2000. The purchase of Gilan’s hot rolling production line led to the developing of his industrial and commercial activities with reputable German companies. Throughout these years, Danial Zadeh’s business associates have included, in addition to Siemens and AEG, VEM, and IMS enterprises, as well as numerous large German corporations. In addition, Danial Zadeh has taken steps to acquire the Hamburg-based ICS company, its complete equipment, its office structures, and fifty percent of METEX, a manufacturer of turning and milling machines and roller grinding for steel rolling mills.
