{{Short description|Manufacturing company}} {{Infobox company | logo = Calderys company logo.gif | logo_upright = 0.7 | name = Calderys | type = Private | industry = Refractory | founded = 2005 | hq_location = Paris, France | area_served = Worldwide | products = | key_people = Michel Cornelissen <small>(President and CEO)</small><ref name="cornelissen">[https://www.cemnet.com/News/story/174361/calderys-and-harbisonwalker-international-appoint-joint-ceo.html Calderys and HarbisonWalker International appoint joint CEO], Cemnet.com, 21 February 2023</ref> | num_employees = 4.500 <small>(excluding contractors)</small> | website = {{URL|https://calderys.com/}} }}
'''Calderys''' is a privately owned company of refractory solutions headquartered in Paris, France. It resulted from the merger of the refractory companies Plibrico and Lafarge Réfractaires in 2005, and combined its operations with HarbisonWalker International (HWI) in 2023.
== History ==
=== Origins === William A.L. Schaefer, in 1914, developed the first monolithic refractory and created the Pliable Firebrick Company, which is also known as Plibrico. Plibrico developed its presence throughout Europe from 1930 to 1960, and was acquired by the group Imetal (future Imerys) in 1996.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About Calderys |url=https://calderys.com/about |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=calderys.com |language=en}}</ref>
Since the start of the 20th century, the Lafarge company has been developing refactory solutions.<ref name=":0" /> During the 1970s, Lafarge became France's leading refractory manufacturer. In 1980, Lafarge officially created Lafarge Réfractaires after its acquisition of the Belgian refractory company Groupe Coppée.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barjot |first=Dominique |date=2005 |title=Lafarge : l'ascension d'une multinationale à la française (1833-2005) |url=https://shs.cairn.info/revue-relations-internationales-2005-4-page-51 |journal=Relations internationales |language=fr |volume=124 |issue=4 |pages=51–67 |doi=10.3917/ri.124.0051 |issn=0335-2013}}</ref> In 2001, Lafarge created the company Materis to divest its building materials division, including Lafarge Réfractaires.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=24 September 2003 |title=Lafarge: Materis restructuring |url=https://www.cemnet.com/News/story/148324/lafarge-materis-restructuring.html |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=International Cement Review |language=en}}</ref> In 2004, Imerys acquired Lafarge Réfractaires from Materis for 130 million euros.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lucas |first=Thierry |date=2004-11-18 |title=Des réfractaires pour Imerys |url=https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/des-refractaires-pour-imerys.N42578 |journal=L'Usine Nouvelle |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=9 November 2004 |title=Imerys : acquisition de Lafarge Réfractaires Monolithiques |url=https://www.boursier.com/actions/actualites/news/imerys-acquisition-de-lafarge-refractaires-monolithiques-115574.html |access-date=2025-08-22 |work=Boursier.com}}</ref>
=== 2005: Calderys === In 2005, Imerys merged Plibrico and Lafarge Réfractaires to create Calderys.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kanga |first=Yao |date=September 2010 |title=Controlled release of isothiazoline biocides from industrial minerals |url=https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/1594/1/Kanga_11_EngD.pdf |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=The University of Birmingham}}</ref> Imerys pursued Calderys' global expansion with acquisitions such as ACE Refractories in India in 2007,<ref>{{cite news | url = http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/icici-venture-sells-ace-refractories-to-imerys/articleshow/2249167.cms | title = ICICI Venture sells Ace Refractories to Imerys | work=The Times Of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/french-firm-buys-ace-refractories/293097/ | title = French firm buys ACE Refractories| newspaper = Business Standard India| date = 2 August 2007}}</ref> Svenska Silikaverken AB and Valöns in Sweden in 2008,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nwt.se/dalsland/article67419.ece | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130418080654/http://www.nwt.se/dalsland/article67419.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2013-04-18 | title = Köp säkrar råvarutillgången för 25 år framåt | language = Swedish }}</ref> PT Indoporlen in Indonesia in 2013,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cemnet.com/News/story/152654/calderys-announces-indonesian-joint-venture.html | title = "Calderys announces Indonesian joint venture", International Cement Review (Aug. 2013)| date = 2 August 2013}}</ref> S&B in 2015,<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Driscoll |first=Mike |date=2015-03-06 |title=Imerys seals S&B acquisition: so what does it mean? |url=https://imformed.com/imerys-seals-sb-acquisition-so-what-does-it-mean/ |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Industrial Minerals Networking {{!}} IMFORMED |language=en-US}}</ref> and Kerneos in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinch |first=Diang |date=23 February 2017 |title=Refractories in steelmaking: still a buyers’ market |url=https://imformed.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Platts-Metals-Insight-Refractories-23-2-17.pdf |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=Metal Insights}}</ref>
In 2023, Imerys sold Calderys to a US private investment firm for 930 million euros.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-01 |title=Platinum Equity completes acquisition of Calderys |url=https://www.globalcement.com/news/item/15253-platinum-equity-completes-acquisition-of-calderys |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=www.globalcement.com}}</ref> After the acquisition, Calderys became a standalone company.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-28 |title=Calderys becomes standalone company |url=https://www.moderncasting.com/articles/2023/02/28/calderys-becomes-standalone-company |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=www.moderncasting.com}}</ref> The fund also acquired HarbisonWalker International (HWI) and combined its operations with Calderys.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Bizley |first=David |date=2023-02-21 |title=Calderys to combine with HarbisonWalker International |url=https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/21022023/calderys-to-combine-with-harbisonwalker-international/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=World Cement |language=en}}</ref> Both companies were rebranded for unification purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Calderys unveils its new brand platform reflecting the Group’s focus… |url=https://aluminiumtoday.com/news/calderys-unveils-its-new-brand-platform-reflecting-the-groups-focus-on-supporting-high-temperature-industries-through-their-energy-transition |access-date=2026-01-08 |website=Aluminium International Today |language=en}}</ref>
== Activities == Calderys is a refractory solutions provider headquartered in Paris, France. The company manufactures and distributes high temperature solutions, from refractories to casting fluxes and molding solutions. It operates 50 production sites in 30 countries (2025).<ref name=":0" /> Since 2023, the company combined its operations with HWI which became Calderys' brand for the Americas region.<ref name=":1" /> Michel Cornelissen has been President and CEO of Calderys, including HWI, since February 2023.<ref name="cornelissen"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://calderys.com/}}
Category:Manufacturing companies of France Category:Multinational companies headquartered in France Category:Refractory materials Category:Industrial supply companies