From our first fire bricks in 1865 to today’s global presence, Calderys’ journey spans 160 years of innovation, people, and progress.
Discover our story through this special video series retracing the key moments that shaped our legacy.
J.K. Lemon establishes Star Fire Brick Company in Pittsburg, USA (1865).
Hay Walker and Samuel P. Harbison purchase Star Fire Brick Company and form Harbison–Walker Refractories (1875).
Harbison–Walker lands a contract from Kloman, Carnegie, and Company to build the Lucy Furnace, which at the time was the largest steelmaking blast furnace ever built (1901).
Lafarge invents and patents aluminous cement with refractory qualities, precursor to monolithic refractories (1908).
In the United States, William A.I. Schafer develops the first monolithic refractory and creates the Pliable Firebrick Company, also known as Pilibrico (1914).
Stollberg is created in Mulheim, Germany, for the production of casting auxiliary materials (1926).
Silver & Baryte Ores Mining Co. S.A. (S&B), an industrial minerals company, is founded on Milos Island, Greece (1934).
Lafarge creates SECAR (Société d'Etude et de Conseil pour Appareillage Réfractaire – Refractory equipment studies and consultancy), a refractories marketing subsidiary (1938).
Plibrico is registered in London (1931) and begins its European expansion: opening its first branch in Sweden (1937), launching operations in the Netherlands (1952), establishing its first European production site in Neuwied, Germany (1955), and entering the Austrian market (1958).
Lafarge continues its expansion on the refractories market, acquiring interests in two of its competitors, Prost and Schlumberger (1970). Ten years later, "Lafarge Réfractaires" is officially created in France (1980). Global expansion begins in 1990, with the launch in Taiwan of its first Asian production facility (1990–1992) and the acquisition of Svenska Höganas AB, opening up business in both Scandinavia and Japan (1997).
Plibrico joins the Imerys Group (1996) and acquires the Valle family’s refractories production plant in South Africa (1998).
Stollberg establishes itself as a worldwide mold flux manufacturing company in the USA (1984) and Korea (1986), followed by France, India, and Brazil (1999).
S&B expands in the US (1964) and in China (1998).
Lafarge Refractories enters the Australian market with the acquisition of Hanlon Refractory (2001). Imerys acquires Lafarge Refractories (2004).
Plibrico International & Lafarge Refractories merge under the Imerys group to form the refractories leader Calderys (2005).
Calderys acquires ACE Refractories, India’s leading monolithic refractory manufacturer (2007). One year later, the company opens its first Chinese plant, in Zhangjiagang, and strengthens its presence in Europe with the acquisition of Svenska Silikaverken AB, a monolithic company operating in Sweden, Norway, and Finland (2008).
S&B acquires Stollberg, to become a global mine-to-market business (2004).
Calderys pursues its Asian expansion, forming a joint venture with PT Indoporlen in Indonesia and acquiring Tokai Ceramics Japan (2013). In Europe, the Group acquires the Finnish company Termorak, to broaden its service offering for projects in the petrochemical and power industries (2014). To further strengthen its presence in the Nordic market, it opens its first office in Norway and acquires Fagersta Eldfasta AB, a refractory installation company based in Sweden (2016), followed by two refractory design, installation, and engineering services companies – N.G. Johnson Northern in the UK and SetLinings in Germany (2017). Calderys also expands its operations in America with the acquisition of SPAR Inc., a monolithic refractory manufacturer based in Alabama, US (2016), and the start-up of operations in Brazil (2018).
Imerys acquires S&B’s main activities, including Stollberg (2015). S&B’s activities are renamed Imerys Metalcasting. Stollberg’s activities become Imerys Steel Casting Fluxes.
Calderys, Imerys Metalcasting and Imerys Steel Casting Fluxes are merged into Imerys’s High-Temperature Solutions (HTS) Business Area, offering a wide range of refractory products, and advanced solutions to enhance steel casting, metallurgical fluxes, and molding processes (2018). The decision is made to rename HTS Calderys.
Three important acquisitions boost Calderys’s operations in high-growth regions (2020):
In 2023, Calderys becomes a privately owned company combined with HarbisonWalker International. Together they form a leading world-class refractories solutions provider.
