Hainaut-Sambre
Encyclopedia
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 (based in Couillet, Charleroi
), and the metal making division of Sambre et Moselle (based in Montignies-sur-Sambre
, Charleroi).
The company absorbed another Charleroi based steel group Thy-Marcinelle et Providence in 1980 before being merged with the Liege
based steel group Cockerill
in 1981 to form Cockerill-Sambre
.
A predecessor company SA Marchinelle & Couillet built locomotives at the Usines Métallurgiques du Hainaut which were used on industrial railways, and exported around the world. The locomotive builder was commonly known as Couillet.
would be instrumental in the development of the steel industry as his contemporary, the naturalised Belgian John Cockerill was in the nearby Liege area. In the 1820s he introduced puddling furnaces
then coke fired blast furnaces.
In 1828 the maison de commerce "Fontaine-Spitaels" bought land for the construction of iron works and in 1830 merged with Usines des Hauchies of Paul Huart-Chapel to form Fontaine-Spitaels et Cie. The company had, in addition to blast and reverbatory furnaces and coke ovens, licenses for the extraction of coal and iron ore. In 1835 the company became the Société Anonyme des Hauts Fourneaux, Usines et Charbonnages de Marcinelle et Couillet with a capital of 4.5 million francs.
Further expansion and development took place, with a mill for iron bar installed, then railways in the 1840s aiding the transportation of ore, the Siemens-Martin process introduced in 1888, in 1892 a Gilchrist-Thomas converter, and in 1894 a mill for rolling metal.
In 1906 the metal working and mining divisions separated; with the colliery at Marcinelle becoming a separate company, the metal division of the company became La Société Métallurgique de Couillet, renamed as Société Métallurgique du Hainaut in 1910.
In 1955 the company merged with the metallurgical division of Sambre et Moselle to form Hainaut-Sambre.
In 1978 the company had a steel production capacity of ~2million tonnes pa. In 1980 it merged with Thy-Marcinelle et Providence. The mergers created a company that represented the majority of the steel production in the Charleroi area, which represented mostly long products.
Since the steel crisis
of the 1970s the company had been in a poor financial state; in 1980 the company had total debts of 1,115million EUR and no capital, Cockerill was in a similar position. On 16 January 1981 Hainaut-Sambre and Cockerill
announced that they were to merge the two groups. The company Cockerill-Sambre
was formed as a result.
; commonly known as "Couillet Locomotives".
The locomotives were exported A few locomotives now operated on heritage railway
s, such as No's. 861 "John Benn" and 986 "Carbon" built by Couillet for Decauville
for supply to the Melbourne Metropolitan Gas Company as a for use in their gas works which work on the Puffing Billy Railway, Australia.
One locomotive on the Chemin de fer touristique du Tarn (Tarn Light Railway
) in France is classifed as a historic monument (Monument historique
). In 2010 the locomotive had its 100th birthday celebrated.
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
region, it was founded in 1955 by the merger of Usine Métallurgiques du Hainaut (based in Couillet, Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
), and the metal making division of Sambre et Moselle (based in Montignies-sur-Sambre
Montignies-sur-Sambre
Montignies-sur-Sambre is a section of the Belgian town of Charleroi within the Walloon region in the Province of Hainaut. It was a commune of its own before the merger of the communes in 1977....
, Charleroi).
The company absorbed another Charleroi based steel group Thy-Marcinelle et Providence in 1980 before being merged with the 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...
based steel group Cockerill
Cockerill
Cockerill is a surname, and may refer to:Sport and sportsmen*Glenn Cockerill, English football manager*John Cockerill , British football player*Kay Cockerill, American golfer*Mike Cockerill, Australian football journalist...
in 1981 to form 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....
.
A predecessor company SA Marchinelle & Couillet built locomotives at the Usines Métallurgiques du Hainaut which were used on industrial railways, and exported around the world. The locomotive builder was commonly known as Couillet.
Background
It has been speculated that the beginnings of industrialised iron working around Charleroi may date at least to 1000AD, with water powered forge, and furnace fed by charcoal. The first official record of an iron industry dates to ~1600 By the 19th century the metallurgical inventions of the industrial revolution had reached Belgium; in the Charleroi area Paul-François Huart-ChapelPaul-François Huart-Chapel
-Biography:Paul-François Huart was born in Charleroi in 1770. He married Mary Chapel, the daughter of an industrialist.In 1806 he inherited the factories of the Chapel family. He introduced a reverbatory furnace for melting metal in 1807, in 1821 the first Puddling furnace in Belgium...
would be instrumental in the development of the steel industry as his contemporary, the naturalised Belgian John Cockerill was in the nearby Liege area. In the 1820s he introduced puddling furnaces
Puddling (metallurgy)
Puddling was an Industrial Revolution means of making iron and steel. In the original puddling technique, molten iron in a reverberatory furnace was stirred with rods, which were consumed in the process...
then coke fired blast furnaces.
In 1828 the maison de commerce "Fontaine-Spitaels" bought land for the construction of iron works and in 1830 merged with Usines des Hauchies of Paul Huart-Chapel to form Fontaine-Spitaels et Cie. The company had, in addition to blast and reverbatory furnaces and coke ovens, licenses for the extraction of coal and iron ore. In 1835 the company became the Société Anonyme des Hauts Fourneaux, Usines et Charbonnages de Marcinelle et Couillet with a capital of 4.5 million francs.
Further expansion and development took place, with a mill for iron bar installed, then railways in the 1840s aiding the transportation of ore, the Siemens-Martin process introduced in 1888, in 1892 a Gilchrist-Thomas converter, and in 1894 a mill for rolling metal.
In 1906 the metal working and mining divisions separated; with the colliery at Marcinelle becoming a separate company, the metal division of the company became La Société Métallurgique de Couillet, renamed as Société Métallurgique du Hainaut in 1910.
In 1955 the company merged with the metallurgical division of Sambre et Moselle to form Hainaut-Sambre.
Hainaut-Sambre
In 1967 the group acquired 51% of the shares of Société des Aciéries et Tréfilerie de Neuves-Maisons - Chatillon, this subsidiary was acquired by Chiers-Chatillon in 1977.In 1978 the company had a steel production capacity of ~2million tonnes pa. In 1980 it merged with Thy-Marcinelle et Providence. The mergers created a company that represented the majority of the steel production in the Charleroi area, which represented mostly long products.
Since the steel crisis
Steel crisis
The steel crisis was a recession in the global steel market during the 1970s recession, following the end of the post-World War II economic boom and the 1973 oil crisis....
of the 1970s the company had been in a poor financial state; in 1980 the company had total debts of 1,115million EUR and no capital, Cockerill was in a similar position. On 16 January 1981 Hainaut-Sambre and Cockerill
Cockerill
Cockerill is a surname, and may refer to:Sport and sportsmen*Glenn Cockerill, English football manager*John Cockerill , British football player*Kay Cockerill, American golfer*Mike Cockerill, Australian football journalist...
announced that they were to merge the two groups. The company 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....
was formed as a result.
Locomotives "Couillet"
The Société anonyme Usines Métallurgiques du Hainaut (English: 'Hainaut metal works company'), part of SA Marchinelle & Couillet built steam locomotives at a plant in Couillet nr. CharleroiCharleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
; commonly known as "Couillet Locomotives".
The locomotives were exported A few locomotives now operated on heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
s, such as No's. 861 "John Benn" and 986 "Carbon" built by Couillet for Decauville
Decauville
The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported...
for supply to the Melbourne Metropolitan Gas Company as a for use in their gas works which work on the Puffing Billy Railway, Australia.
One locomotive on the Chemin de fer touristique du Tarn (Tarn Light Railway
Tarn Light Railway
The Chemin de Fer Touristique du Tarn , or Tarn Light Railway, is a narrow-gauge light railway near the village of Saint-Lieux-lès-Lavaur, in the vicinity of Saint-Sulpice in the department of Tarn, France...
) in France is classifed as a historic monument (Monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
). In 2010 the locomotive had its 100th birthday celebrated.