Altos Hornos de Vizcaya
Encyclopedia
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
business that began in 1902 in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
with the merger of three iron and steel businesses: Altos Hornos de Bilbao, La Vizcaya, and La Iberia. In the 1990s, following a series of mergers joined it with Arcelor
Arcelor
Arcelor S.A. was the world's largest steel producer in terms of turnover and the second largest in terms of steel output, with a turnover of €30.2 billion and shipments of 45 million metric tons of steel in 2004...
.
The location was chosen for the iron mineral resources around Bilbao, the proximity to a sea port
Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km west of Bilbao...
, and the metallurgical tradition of the area. After the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, the industry of Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
was left basically intact. This proved to be an attractive feature that drew many people during Spain's rural exodus. The business was thus one of the major forces responsible for the economic development of many of the municipalities of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, including Barakaldo
Barakaldo
Barakaldo , is a municipality in the Basque Country in Spain. It is located in the Biscay province, administratively included in the "Basque Autonomous Community", on the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao.Barakaldo is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area , and its official population...
, Sestao
Sestao
Sestao is a town and municipality of 30,000 inhabitants located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain...
, Portugalete
Portugalete
Portugalete is a town lying to the west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.The town has 51,066 inhabitants and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. It is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao, on the left bank...
, Ortuella
Ortuella
Ortuella is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.Nowadays part of Greater Bilbao region, until the beginning of 19th century it was integrated in the Valley of Somorrostro of the Encartaciones next to the Santurtzi...
, and Abanto y Ciérvana
Abanto y Ciérvana-Abanto Zierbena
Abanto y Ciérbana-Abanto Zierbena is a municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the North of Spain.- Neighborhoods :...
.
As a consequence of the implementation of the "Plan de Competitividad Conjunto AHV - Ensidesa", in December 1994 the CSI Group (Corporación Siderúrgica Integral) was formed, and it in turn was reorganized in 1997 forming the Aceralia Iron and Steel Corporation
Aceralia
Aceralia was a large Spanish steel producer formed in 1997 by restructuring of a group formed from earlier mergers of the steel producers ENSIDESA and Altos Hornos de Vizcaya....
.