John Cockerill (company)
Encyclopedia
The John Cockerill Company was a Belgian iron, steel and manufacturing company based in Seraing
in the region of Liege
, founded by the British industrialist family fathered by William Cockerill
.
From 1825 the owner was John Cockerill and the company known as John Cockerill & Cie., after John Cockerill's death in Warsaw after a business trip to Russia raising funds to save the company from bancruptcy in 1840 the company became state owned, and from 1842 known as Société anonyme pour l'Exploitation des Etablissements John Cockerill.Also written as Société anonyme John Cockerill, or SA John Cockerill. In English either often referred to as the "John Cockerill Company".
The company was one of the major iron and steel producers in western Europe throughout its existence, and a major producer of derived products, including rail and railway locomotives, iron production equipment, and other large scale iron and steel constructions.
In 1955 the company merged with Ougrée-Marihaye
to form SA Cockerill-Ougrée, later merged into Cockerill-Sambre
in 1981.
set up a textile machinery factory in Verviers
, Belgium. In 1807 he moved to Liege
and created a factory constructing machinery for the carding, spinning and weaving of wool, as well as Steam engines. His family had joined him from England and his sons John and Charles James managed the factory in Liege. After purchasing the former palace of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège at Seraing
Charles James and John constructed there an iron foundry and machine building factory. From its inception in 1817 to 1840 the complex expanded; a coke fired blast furnace, and manufacturing of steam engines, railway locomotives, steam powered blowers for blast furnaces and traction engines all became part of the facilities in the Liege region
under the control of the Cockerills. John Cockerill's business interests also expanded to include coal mining and collierys. The company rose to be the primary steel company of Europe, spurred on by its involvement in the construction of the Belgian railways.
William retired in 1813 and later John took over the company; it became John Cockerill & Cie. in 1825. In 1839 a banking crisis hit Belgium, and John Cockerill's company became bankrupt as a result. On the return from a trip to Russia attempting to raise funds he died of typhus
in 1840 with no direct heir. As a result of his death, faced with the prospect of closure of an enterprise employing 30,000 the state bought the assets, and in 20 March 1842 , and the company became Société anonyme pour l'Exploitation des Etablissements John Cockerill. (SA John Cockerill)
In 1866 the company's director Eugene Sadoine began an expansion of the company's mining assets; developing nearby coal mines in Colard and iron mines in Spain. By 1872 the company's first Siemens-Martin converter begins operation, and in 1886 begins to use the Gilchrist-Thomas process (basic process).
In 1945 the company took over SA Angleur-Athus, and in 1955 SA John Cockerill merged with SA Ougrée-Marihaye to form SA Cockerill-Ougrée.
produced Cockerill-Sambre
, which through further mergers then became part of Usinor
(1999) then Arcelor
(2002), and in 2008 part of ArcelorMittal.
The mechanical engineering part of the Cockerill, which distinguished from other Belgian steelmakers, became a separate company in 2002 when it was bought from Usinor by a private consortium. As of 2010 It operates as Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie
(CMI) (previously Cockerill Mechanical Industries) and produces a range of products including boilers, shunting locomotives, steel mill and other large scale industrial equipment, and military equipment.
As of 2010 steel production in Liege continues as ArcelorMittal Liege, producing flat carbon steel, with process from coking and blast furnace production of steel, continuous casting and hot rolling, to coating of steel with zinc or plastic.
Seraing
Seraing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle it forms the greater Liège agglomeration...
in the region of Liege
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
, founded by the British industrialist family fathered by William Cockerill
William Cockerill
William Cockerill was a British entrepreneur who created a textile machine manufacturing business in Verviers and Liege, Belgium ....
.
From 1825 the owner was John Cockerill and the company known as John Cockerill & Cie., after John Cockerill's death in Warsaw after a business trip to Russia raising funds to save the company from bancruptcy in 1840 the company became state owned, and from 1842 known as Société anonyme pour l'Exploitation des Etablissements John Cockerill.Also written as Société anonyme John Cockerill, or SA John Cockerill. In English either often referred to as the "John Cockerill Company".
The company was one of the major iron and steel producers in western Europe throughout its existence, and a major producer of derived products, including rail and railway locomotives, iron production equipment, and other large scale iron and steel constructions.
In 1955 the company merged with Ougrée-Marihaye
Ougrée-Marihaye
The Belgian iron and steel producing company Ougrée-Marihaye was formed in 1835 by the merger of the iron and steel works in Ougree in the province of Liège, and the coal mines of Marihaye. The company merged with the Société anonyme John Cockerill in 1955 to form Cockerill-Ougrée.-History:In 1809...
to form SA Cockerill-Ougrée, later merged into Cockerill-Sambre
Cockerill-Sambre
Cockerill-Sambre was a group of Belgian steel manufacturers headquartered in Seraing , on the Meuse River, and in Charleroi, on the shore of the Sambre River....
in 1981.
John Cockerill & Cie (-1842)
In 1799 the British born blacksmith and mechanical engineer William CockerillWilliam Cockerill
William Cockerill was a British entrepreneur who created a textile machine manufacturing business in Verviers and Liege, Belgium ....
set up a textile machinery factory in Verviers
Verviers
Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
, Belgium. In 1807 he moved to Liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
and created a factory constructing machinery for the carding, spinning and weaving of wool, as well as Steam engines. His family had joined him from England and his sons John and Charles James managed the factory in Liege. After purchasing the former palace of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège at Seraing
Seraing
Seraing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle it forms the greater Liège agglomeration...
Charles James and John constructed there an iron foundry and machine building factory. From its inception in 1817 to 1840 the complex expanded; a coke fired blast furnace, and manufacturing of steam engines, railway locomotives, steam powered blowers for blast furnaces and traction engines all became part of the facilities in the Liege region
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
under the control of the Cockerills. John Cockerill's business interests also expanded to include coal mining and collierys. The company rose to be the primary steel company of Europe, spurred on by its involvement in the construction of the Belgian railways.
William retired in 1813 and later John took over the company; it became John Cockerill & Cie. in 1825. In 1839 a banking crisis hit Belgium, and John Cockerill's company became bankrupt as a result. On the return from a trip to Russia attempting to raise funds he died of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
in 1840 with no direct heir. As a result of his death, faced with the prospect of closure of an enterprise employing 30,000 the state bought the assets, and in 20 March 1842 , and the company became Société anonyme pour l'Exploitation des Etablissements John Cockerill. (SA John Cockerill)
Société anonyme John Cockerill (1842-1955)
Under state control the company expanded further; In 1865 when the plant at Seraing was visited by a mission from Japan it was 192 acre (776,997.1 m²) in size and had two coal mines, as well as facilities for the manipulation of iron and steel, with boiler and locomotive works. A bessemer converter had been installed in 1863, and the company expanded into the production of transatlanic ships and bridges, ironclads and tunneling machines.In 1866 the company's director Eugene Sadoine began an expansion of the company's mining assets; developing nearby coal mines in Colard and iron mines in Spain. By 1872 the company's first Siemens-Martin converter begins operation, and in 1886 begins to use the Gilchrist-Thomas process (basic process).
In 1945 the company took over SA Angleur-Athus, and in 1955 SA John Cockerill merged with SA Ougrée-Marihaye to form SA Cockerill-Ougrée.
1955 to present
The company Cockerill-Ougrée underwent further merges as the Belgian steel industry was consolidated in the second half of the twentieth century, becoming Cockerill-Ougrée-Providence in 1966, Cockerill-Ougrée-Providence et Espérance Longdoz in 1970; shortened to Cockerill. In 1980 merger with Hainaut-SambreHainaut-Sambre
Hainaut-Sambre was a Belgian group of steel companies based in the Charleroi region, it was founded in 1955 by the merger of Usine Métallurgiques du Hainaut , and the metal making division of Sambre et Moselle .The company absorbed another Charleroi based steel group Thy-Marcinelle et Providence...
produced Cockerill-Sambre
Cockerill-Sambre
Cockerill-Sambre was a group of Belgian steel manufacturers headquartered in Seraing , on the Meuse River, and in Charleroi, on the shore of the Sambre River....
, which through further mergers then became part of Usinor
Usinor
Usinor was a French steel making group formed in 1948. The group was merged with Sacilor in 1986, becoming Usinor-Sacilor and was privatised in 1995, and renamed Usinor in 1997....
(1999) then 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...
(2002), and in 2008 part of ArcelorMittal.
The mechanical engineering part of the Cockerill, which distinguished from other Belgian steelmakers, became a separate company in 2002 when it was bought from Usinor by a private consortium. As of 2010 It operates as Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie
Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie
Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie is a mechanical engineering group headquartered in Seraing, Belgium, producing machinery for steel plants, industrial heat recovery equipment and boiler, and shunting locomotives and military equipment ....
(CMI) (previously Cockerill Mechanical Industries) and produces a range of products including boilers, shunting locomotives, steel mill and other large scale industrial equipment, and military equipment.
As of 2010 steel production in Liege continues as ArcelorMittal Liege, producing flat carbon steel, with process from coking and blast furnace production of steel, continuous casting and hot rolling, to coating of steel with zinc or plastic.