RHI AG
Encyclopedia
RHI AG Vienna
-based Austria
n company specialising in producing heat-resistant refractory products for the steel
, cement
, glass
, lime and non-ferrous metal
s industries. The company has an annual producing capacity of 2 million tonnes of refractory products, making it the largest company in the world in this field of activity. The company employs around 7,700 people in 32 locations in 14 countries, with an annual turnover of approximately EUR 1.6 billion.
in what was then Prussia
. The company was one of the first in Europe
to produce refractory bricks. By 1888 the Didier-Werke, as it was later known, opened its own research and development division with the task of developing new heat-resistant materials. In 1932 the company officially adopted the Didier-Werke AG name and became a major producer of German refractory products. The discovery of the fire-resistant properties of magnesite
and magnesium carbonate
gave a new boost to the refractory products industry in Europe, and especially in Austria, which had large magnesite deposits.
Activities abroad began with the 1990 acquisition of 50% of National Refractories of Oakland, based in Oakland, California
. In 1991 the company acquired a controlling stake in Veitscher Magnesitwerke AG, its main Austrian competitor. In the same year the Dolomite Franchi company based in Italy
was acquired by RHI AG. One of the most important company takeovers took place in 1994 when RHI bought Germany's Vedag Dachsysteme GmbH specialised in producing roofing materials which had production facilities in Slovakia
, Czech Republic
and Poland
. After merging with Didier-Werke in 1997, the company had production facilities in Austria
, Belgium
, Canada
, Chile
, People's Republic of China
, France
, Germany
, India
, Italy
, Mexico
, South Africa
, Spain
, Turkey
, United Kingdom
and the United States
.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
-based Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n company specialising in producing heat-resistant refractory products for the steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
, glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, lime and non-ferrous metal
Non-ferrous metal
In metallurgy, a non-ferrous metal is a metal that is not ferrous, that is, any metal, including alloys, that does not contain iron in appreciable amounts...
s industries. The company has an annual producing capacity of 2 million tonnes of refractory products, making it the largest company in the world in this field of activity. The company employs around 7,700 people in 32 locations in 14 countries, with an annual turnover of approximately EUR 1.6 billion.
History
The company was founded in 1834 by Friedrich Didier as the Chamottefabrik F. Didier, at PodjuchySzczecin-Podjuchy
Podjuchy is a municipal neighborhood of the city of Szczecin, Poland situated on the right bank of the East Oder river, south-east of the Szczecin Old Town, and south-west of Szczecin-Dąbie....
in what was then Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. The company was one of the first in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to produce refractory bricks. By 1888 the Didier-Werke, as it was later known, opened its own research and development division with the task of developing new heat-resistant materials. In 1932 the company officially adopted the Didier-Werke AG name and became a major producer of German refractory products. The discovery of the fire-resistant properties of magnesite
Magnesite
Magnesite is magnesium carbonate, MgCO3. Iron substitutes for magnesium with a complete solution series with siderite, FeCO3. Calcium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may also occur in small amounts...
and magnesium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, is a white solid that occurs in nature as a mineral. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals...
gave a new boost to the refractory products industry in Europe, and especially in Austria, which had large magnesite deposits.
Activities abroad began with the 1990 acquisition of 50% of National Refractories of Oakland, based in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. In 1991 the company acquired a controlling stake in Veitscher Magnesitwerke AG, its main Austrian competitor. In the same year the Dolomite Franchi company based in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
was acquired by RHI AG. One of the most important company takeovers took place in 1994 when RHI bought Germany's Vedag Dachsysteme GmbH specialised in producing roofing materials which had production facilities in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. After merging with Didier-Werke in 1997, the company had production facilities in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.