Georgsmarienhütte GmbH

Georgsmarienhütte GmbH (GMH) is a German steelworks founded on 14 July 1856 as the Georgs-Marien-Bergwerks- und Hüttenverein, with its headquarters in the town of Georgsmarienhütte south of Osnabrück in Lower Saxony. The works was named after King George V and Queen Marie, the last ruling couple of the Kingdom of Hanover. Today it is one of Europe's leading suppliers of bar steel, semi-finished products and bright steel made from quality and special engineering steels, and it generates around 80% of its revenue with the automotive industry. The company is part of the Georgsmarienhütte Unternehmensgruppe (GMH Gruppe), a group of more than twenty medium-sized companies operating in Germany, Austria, Australia and the United States. Its steel is produced from scrap via the electric arc furnace route, which makes an important contribution to the circular economy and positions the company as a pioneer of sustainable steelmaking. Its customers include the automotive industry, mechanical and plant engineering, and the energy sector. Georgsmarienhütte's product range includes rolled bar steel (warm-rolled round long products used as input material for high-quality end products), bright steel (warm-rolled, peeled bar steel with a smooth, clean surface), cut-to-length steel sections, CNC components, continuous-cast raw strand and raw blocks. The company markets itself as a partner for quality and innovation, and its positioning is closely tied to the transition to low-carbon, scrap-based steel production for the "green economy". Historically, the works belonged to the Klöckner group from 1923 until the loss-making plant was acquired in 1993 for a symbolic sum by Klöckner manager Jürgen Großmann. Since 1997 it has been wholly owned by Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH. In 1994 the company commissioned Germany's first direct-current electric arc furnace and converted steel production from the blast-furnace/converter route to the direct-current electric arc process, making the works independent of iron ore and coal but dependent on the considerably more volatile scrap price. In the same year it returned to profit after years of losses. The conversion gradually changed the appearance of the works: the old blast furnace was demolished on 24 August 1996, followed by the 1929 gasometer on Klöcknerstraße in 1999 and the second gas holder in 2000. Major investments followed, including a new continuous casting plant and a modernised rolling mill in 2002, inaugurated on 16 August 2002 in the presence of Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder with an annual capacity of 750,000 tonnes. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the works in 2005, and in 2006 a new 160-tonne walking-beam furnace was completed as part of the rolling line. In 2006 the company celebrated its 150th anniversary and founded the charitable "Stiftung Stahlwerk Georgsmarienhütte". At the end of the 2006 financial year, owner Jürgen Großmann stepped down from management while remaining owner. On 1 September 2007 the first heat was run with the new LF 2 ladle furnace, and in 2008 the continuous casting plant was modernised again and a new straightening and testing line was commissioned in the finishing operations.

Georgsmarienhütte GmbH was founded on 14 July 1856 as the Georgs-Marien-Bergwerks- und Hüttenverein, a steelworks named after King George V and Queen Marie, the last ruling couple of the Kingdom of Hanover. The town of Georgsmarienhütte, south of Osnabrück in Lower Saxony, later took its name from the works. From 1923 the Georgsmarienhütte belonged to the Klöckner group, under which it operated for decades as part of the German heavy industry landscape. By the early 1990s the plant was loss-making. In 1993 it was acquired for a symbolic sum by the Klöckner manager Jürgen Großmann, and since 1997 it has been wholly owned by Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH. A decisive technological turning point came in 1994, when the company commissioned Germany's first direct-current electric arc furnace and converted steel production from the blast-furnace/converter route to the direct-current electric arc process. This made the works independent of iron ore and coal but dependent on the considerably more volatile scrap price. In the same year, after years of losses, the company returned to profit. The switch to electric steelmaking gradually transformed the physical appearance of the works. The old blast furnace was demolished on 24 August 1996; the gasometer built in 1929 on Klöcknerstraße was demolished in 1999, and the second gas holder followed in 2000. In 2002 the company made a major investment in a new continuous casting plant and a modernisation of the rolling mill. The facilities, costing 37.5 million euros, were commissioned on 16 August 2002 in the presence of Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and had an annual capacity of 750,000 tonnes at start-up. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the works in 2005. In 2006 a new 160-tonne walking-beam furnace was completed as part of the rolling line, and the company celebrated its 150th anniversary with a ceremony attended by Angela Merkel, Christian Wulff, customers, friends and members of the GMH community, honouring the founding by George V and Queen Marie. To mark the anniversary, the company established the charitable "Stiftung Stahlwerk Georgsmarienhütte". At the end of the 2006 financial year, owner Jürgen Großmann stepped down from the management board while remaining owner. On 1 September 2007 the first heat was run with the new LF 2 ladle furnace. In 2008 the continuous casting plant was modernised once more and a new straightening and testing line was commissioned in the finishing operations of the final production units. Today Georgsmarienhütte GmbH is part of the Georgsmarienhütte Unternehmensgruppe (GMH Gruppe), a network of more than twenty medium-sized companies in Germany, Austria, Australia and the United States. It is one of the leading European suppliers of bar steel, semi-finished products and bright steel made from quality steel and special engineering steel, and it generates around 80% of its revenue with the automotive industry. Its steel is produced from scrap via the electric arc furnace route, contributing to the circular economy and making the company a pioneer of sustainable steel production. Its customers also include mechanical and plant engineering and the energy industry.

• 2008

  Continuous casting plant modernised again and a new straightening and testing line commissioned in the finishing operations.

• 2007

  First heat run with the new LF 2 ladle furnace on 1 September 2007.

• 2006

  New 160-tonne walking-beam furnace completed as part of the rolling line; the company celebrated its 150th anniversary and founded the charitable "Stiftung Stahlwerk Georgsmarienhütte"; owner Jürgen Großmann stepped down from management at the end of the financial year while remaining owner.

• 2005

  Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the works.

• 2002

  Major investment in a new continuous casting plant and modernisation of the rolling mill; the 37.5 million euro facilities were commissioned on 16 August 2002 in the presence of Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, with an annual capacity of 750,000 tonnes.

• 2000

  The second gas holder was demolished.

• 1999

  The gasometer built in 1929 on Klöcknerstraße was demolished.

• 1997

  The company came into the sole ownership of Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH.

• 1996

  The old blast furnace was demolished on 24 August 1996.

• 1994

  Commissioned Germany's first direct-current electric arc furnace and converted steel production from the blast-furnace/converter route to the direct-current electric arc process; returned to profit after years of losses.

• 1993

  The loss-making works was acquired for a symbolic sum by Klöckner manager Jürgen Großmann.

• 1923

  The Georgsmarienhütte became part of the Klöckner group.

• 1856

  Founded on 14 July 1856 as the Georgs-Marien-Bergwerks- und Hüttenverein, named after King George V and Queen Marie of Hanover.

Leading European supplier of quality and special bar steel, semi-finished products and bright steel; pioneer of sustainable, scrap-based electric-arc steelmaking for the green economy; partner to the automotive, machinery and energy industries.

• Rolled bar steel

  Warm-rolled round long products used as input material for high-quality end products, made to customer specifications.

• Bright steel

  Warm-rolled, peeled bar steel with a smooth, clean surface.

• Cut-to-length steel sections

  Precisely sawn steel sections used as high-quality input material for demanding applications such as drive technology.

• CNC components

  Components critical to the performance and reliability of mechanical systems, especially in applications with tight tolerances and high demands.

• Continuous-cast raw strand

  Produced by continuous casting, a highly efficient process for manufacturing raw strand of consistent quality in large quantities.

• Raw blocks

  Order-specific raw blocks produced by Steel Works Bous GmbH using the ingot casting process.

1. 1Georgsmarienhütte GmbH - GMH Gruppe - Grüner Stahl für die Green Economygmh-gruppe.de
2. 2Georgsmarienhütte GmbH - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Georgsmarienhütte (Unternehmen) - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org