 In 1967, Vallourec acquired the tube division of Lorraine-Escaut, its main competitor.During the 1970s, Vallourec built an integrated steel and tube plant in Saint-Saulve, and also formed several industrial and commercial partnerships, one such being with the Japanese company Sumitomo (Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation – NSSMC) – the 3rd largest manufacturer of steel tubes worldwide.In 1984, Vallourec entered the United States market with the foundation of VAM PTS (Premium Threading Services), a joint venture between Vallourec and Sumimoto.