Usinor
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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. In 2001 it merged with Arbed (Luxembourg) and Aceralia (Spain) to form the European company Arcelor, which became part of
ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal S.A. is a Luxembourg-based multinational steel manufacturing corporation, headquartered in Luxembourg City. It is ranked second on the list of steel producers behind Baowu, and had an annual crude steel production of 58 millio ...
in 2006.


History


Sacilor and predecessors

In 1704 Jean Martin de Wendel bought an ironworks in Hayange,
Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
in north-eastern France. Over the next one hundred years industrial production grew, and, in 1822 the first coke fired blast furnace in France was constructed. Further growth occurred under de Wendel family ownership in the next century; in 1850 approximately 20,000 tons of iron and cast iron each were produced, by 1869 this had increased 15 blast furnaces and a production of well over 100,000 tons of cast iron and iron each. Production included rails, bars, sheet, tin and wire. The company was split as a result of the Alsace-Lorraine region becoming part of Germany after that country's victory in the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
in 1870. After Germany's defeat in the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the region returned to France, and the factories regained. Production continued to increase, with over 1.5million tons of iron and cast iron each produced in 1929. The Great Depression in France affected the company's ability to invest and in 1948 nine steelmakers formed the '' Société Lorraine de Laminage Continu'' (Sollac), pooling their resources to modernise. Further consolidation took place in the 1950s and 60s; ''Sidélor'' was formed from the Rombas and Homécourt group of companies in 1950, in 1963 the ''Union des consommateurs de produits métallurgiques et industriels'' (UCPMI) and ''Knutange'' merged to form the ''Société Mosellane de Sidérurgie'' (SMS). Sacilor (Société des Aciéries et Laminoirs de Lorraine) was first created in 1964 as a joint venture between the ''de Wendel'' and ''Sidélor'' groups (France for the construction of a modern steel plant in
Gandrange Gandrange (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories in ...
, Lorraine. The groups themselves merged with SMS in 1967, forming ''de Wendel-Sidélor''; in 1968 this group produced 40% of French production: 20million tons of Iron. The entire group became named Sacilor in 1973.


Usinor and predecessors

Usinor (Union Sidérurgique du Nord) was created in 1948 from the merger of Denain-Anzin (''Les Hauts Fourneaux, Forges et Aciéries de Denain-Anzin'') founded 1849 and ''Nord-Est'' (''Les Forges et Aciéries du Nord et de l'Est'') founded 1882. Both companies had their origins in ironworks founded in the first half of the 19th century in the modern day ''département'' of Nord. The company was formed for the consolidation of the steel works in the region, with a new plant in Denain, opened in 1952. Another factory, dedicated to steel sheet production, was opened in
Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
in 1971, receiving materials by sea and from abroad. In 1963 merger with ''Lorraine-Escaut'', also formed from the merger of older companies. (''Senelle-Maubeuge'', '' Longwy'' and ''Escaut et Meuse''). The financial crisis of the 1970s affected the company negatively, and state investment grew. In 1979 another merger took place between Usinor and the smaller '' Chiers-Chatillon-Neuves Maisons''. By 1981 90% of Usinor's shares were state owned.


Nationalisation and merger of Usinor and Sacilor

The economic effects of the
1973 oil crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...
affected both the steelmaking groups, already in debt from modernisation projects, and heavily reliant on state loans; in 1981 both Usinor and Sacilor was nationalised. Following another steel market crash in 1983, and the halt to subsidies to the steel industry brought in by the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
in 1986; Both companies were making heavy losses; in September 1986 the merger of Usinor and Sacilor was announced forming Usinor-Sacilor.


Usinor-Sacilor, Usinor, and merger into Arcelor

Further companies were absorbed into the group, ''Sollac'' in 1990, ''Ugine'' in 1991. In 1995 the company was privatised, and in 1997 the entire group renamed Usinor. In 1998 Cockerill-Sambre, a Belgian steelmaker was acquired. Usinor restructured as primarily a flat carbon steel producer in the last years of the 20th century, and disposed of several speciality steel product and long steel product businesses: the Usinor/Cockerill owned rolling mill manufacturer Forcast was sold to Akers (company) in 1998; in 1998-9 the subsidiary: Unimetal (long products) and its subsidiaries Trefileurope, and '' Societe Metallurgique de Revigny'' (SMR) were sold to Ispat International (later Mitall Steel Company) for approximately $107 million (693
francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...
); railway wheelset and axle manufacturing subsidiaries Valdunes and RTM were sold to ''Freedom Forge Holding'' ( Standard Steel, USA) in 1998; railway rail manufacturing subsidiary Sogerail (Hayange, France) was sold to
British Steel plc British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
in 1999. the special long products and forged products subsidiary Ascometal was sold to Lucchini S.p.A. in 1999; and the
electrical steel Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
subsidiary UGO ('' Usinor Grains Orientés SA'') was sold to Thyssen Krupp in 2000.Sources: * * In 2001/2 the group merged with Arbed of Luxembourg and Aceralia of Spain to form Arcelor.


References


Literature

* {{Authority control Steel companies of France ArcelorMittal Defunct manufacturing companies of France Manufacturing companies established in 1948 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2002 French companies established in 1948 French companies disestablished in 2002