ARBED

Описание: ARBED (Aciéries Réunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange) was a major Luxembourg-based steel and iron producing company. Created in 1911 after the merger of three steel producing companies, ARBED had a significant role in the economy of the Grand-Duchy until it merged in 2002 with two other European steel companies to create Arcelor.

Origins (1882-1911)

The discovery of iron ore in Luxembourg in the 1850s and the introduction of metallurgy in 1876 led to the development of an important national steel industry, especially in the south of the country, and provided Luxembourg with sustained economic growth during the second half of the 19th century. This economic growth was greatly boosted during the two decades preceding World War I when large integrated steelworks, able to convert cast iron into steel and rolled steel, were constructed. Steel production surged from 145 313 tonnes in 1900 to 1 115 004 tonnes in 1913, and steel-making accounted for around 60% of total industrial employment in Luxembourg before World War I. The close economic relationship between Luxembourg and its neighbours, especially Germany, enabled investors to develop cross-border projects. As early as 1856, Luxembourg industrialists and members of parliament founded the Saarbrücker Eisenhüttengesellschaft - Société en participation des Forges de Sarrebruck ("Saarbrücken shareholding company"). Similarly, German industrialists invested funds in the development of Luxembourg steel companies.

South Luxembourg's important economic development due to steel production led to the creation of several steel-producing companies. In 1882, the Société Anonyme des Hauts Fourneaux et Forges de Dudelange ("High Furnace and Forging Mills of Dudelange Shareholding Company") was founded by the Société en commandite des Forges d'Eich, Le Gallais, Metz et Cie, founded in 1838, and the main shareholders of the Saarbrücken shareholding company.

As steel production increased exponentially, it soon became necessary to merge companies. In 1911, at an extraordinary general corporate meeting of the Société anonyme des Hauts Fourneaux et Forges de Dudelange, decision was taken to incorporate the Société anonyme des Mines du Luxembourg et Forges de Sarrebruck and the Société en commandite des Forges d'Eich, Le Gallais, Metz et Cie. into the Dudelange company. The new shareholding company, merging the three largest local steel companies, was named ARBED S.A., the acronym for Aciéries Réunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange, Société Anonyme.
Growth and Development of ARBED (1911-1945)

At its founding, ARBED operated 21 blast furnaces, 3 electric furnaces, 2 steelmaking plants and several rolling mills. In 1912, raw steel production from the ARBED works reached 824 500 tonnes. Although steel production almost halted during World War I, the following decades prove to be very successful. In order to further develop, ARBED took an international dimension and acquired and absorbed several companies in Belgium and Germany in the 1920s.

At the end of World War I, German capital was withdrawn, and steelworks were taken over by groups with Franco-Belgian-Luxembourg capital. Two companies, Société Metallurgique des Terres Rouges and Société Minière des Terres Rouges, were specifically created by ARBED and other French and Belgian companies for the purpose of acquiring plants and mines west of the Rhine which had to be sold by Germany as a consequence of the Treaty of Versailles.