Magnesita Refractories Company history

The country's involvement in the refractories trade received its first boost in 1881, when Carl Spaeter discovered an important magnesite deposit near the town of Veitsch, in the Styria region of Austria.

By 1888, the Didier-Werke, as it became known, had begun its own research and development program in order to extend its production into a wider range of industrial fireproofing products.

Spaeter's business, designated as Veitscher Magnesitwerke Actien-Gesellschaft in 1899, became the world's first producer of processed magnesite for refractory products.

The new company quickly took over the rights to manufacture a new insulation product patented by Robert Scherer in Vienna in 1907.

By 1932, when the company officially adopted the name Didier-Werke AG, it had become a leading German refractory products producer and one of the leaders in Europe.

Veitscher also played a leading role in the development of new magnesite-based refractory products, particularly after the establishment of a dedicated research and development facility in 1935.

1974: The company is acquired by National Refractories Co., and Radex-Heraklith is separated into its building products and insulation divisions.

The latter division was reformed under the name Austrian Heraklith AG. In 1981, that company began production of rock wool insulation products.

However, in 1993, the two businesses were merged together to form a new subsidiary of RHI, Veitsch-Radex Aktiengesellschaft für feuerfeste Erzeugnisse.

1995: Fifty-one percent of Didier-Werke, which includes NARCO North American subsidiary, is acquired.

1997: Radex-Heraklith acquires 89 percent of Didier Werke, later boosting its share to more than 96 percent.

The acquisition was completed in 2000.

By 2001, however, the company's rapid expansion into the North American market left it highly exposed to the sudden economic downturn, and particularly the slump in the steel industry.

By late 2002, RHI's restructuring efforts appeared to have restored the company's stability, as it once again began showing profits.

The Company also has franchise operation in Salem Tamilnadu for manufacturing basic spray mass.Orient Refractories Ltd was incorporated on November 26 2010 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Orient Abrasives Limited.

The company entered into a Scheme of Arrangement with Orient Abrasives Limited and their respective shareholders which became effective on April 1 2011.

The Plant has started production from November'2019.