John Cockerill

John Cockerill (Haslington, August 3rd 1790 - Warsaw, June 19th 1840), is a British industrialist, emigrant in 1797 towards the territory of current the Belgium with his/her father William Cockerill. This last there exploited the first machines to card wool in an industrial way on the continent of Europe, in the area of Verviers.

In 1817, it buys with his/her brother Charles James the Castle of Seraing, Prince Guillaume Ier of the Netherlands having responsible it for the development of the iron and steel industry in the surroundings of Liege. It starts by rather developing in the vicinity a Haut-fourneau with coke than with wood. An arsenal of construction of boats, Cockerill Yards (known then under the name of Hoboken) is open in 1824 to Antwerp. In 1825, James Cockerill sells his shares to the king of the Netherlands.

One moment threatened by the disorders resulting from the Belgian Revolution, John Cockerill finds finally sole owner of the factories of Seraing. The group will count up to 60 establishments in the world. As of the Years 1830, Belgium wishes to develop its railway network. The workshops John Cockerill will provide the first Rail S, Wagon S and Locomotive S of continental Europe. The steel constructions will be of any nature, in particular including Pont S and Paquebot S.

In 1838, in spite of the bankruptcy of its banking institution, it founds an independent industrial complex including/understanding the various factories intended to develop the first integrated industrial complex. This one includes/understands in particular a blast furnace, Fonderie S, forging mills, Laminoir and workshops of mechanical engineering. Are also located near the Charbonnage S, a mine of iron ore, as well as port and a railway network on the Meuse. Multiple technological innovations, whose rolling mill, will be implemented in this first industrial complex.

John Cockerill dies of the Typhoid fever in 1840 at the time of a business trip to Warsaw.

Its factories will ensure the economic prosperity of the area during more than one century. They make from now on started from Arcelor since 2002.

Chronology of the factories John Cockerill

  • 1842 : Public limit company John Cockerill . In 1850, the factory of Seraing is most important of the world, and the company contributes to make of Belgium the second economic power of the world, behind the the United Kingdom.
  • 1955 : fusion with the Ougrée-Marihaye company, and new name Cockerill-Ougrée .
  • 1966 : fusion with the Forging mills of Providence, and new name Cockerill-Ougrée-Providence .
  • 1970 : integration of Hope-Longdoz (creator of Chertal), and new name Cockerill .
  • 1981 : fusion with industries of basin of Charleroi under the impulse of Albert Frère, and new name Cockerill-Sambre . Purchase by the Belgian State, then transmission with the Walloon region.
  • 1982 : end of the activity of naval construction to Hoboken.
  • 1990 : recovery of the factory of Eko Stahl located at on the Oder, in ex- German Democratic republic
  • 1998: integration with the group Usinor by exchange of actions.
  • 2002 : integration with the group Arcelor . The Walloon region remains the first shareholder about it. The group is however primarily controlled by American Pension funds.
  • 2003 : progressive closing of the hot phase in Liege from here the end of 2009 announces: : 2700 industrial employment is concerned from here 2009 (direct and indirect]. For the direction in place, this closing is justified by a recentralisation of the industrial processes hot towards the port areas, with the detriment of the units known as “continental”. Behind this logic the will is expressed to facilitate the supply raw materials of these processes, the iron ore being provided more in Europe but by other continents.
  • 2004 : installation of a mission of revitalization/reconversion of the type SODIE. Sodie Belgium (http://www.sodie.be]) opens an antenna inhabitant of Li2ege equipped with a budget of 20 million euros. More infos on www.sodie.be/liege * 2005: closing of the blast furnace of Seraing. The Walloon region sells part of its actions to finance its economic revival program.
  • January 27th, 2006: the company Mittal Steel Company NV launches a hostile tender offer against the iron and steel group Arcelor.
  • January 19th, 2006: it improves its offer on Arcelor, making it pass to 25,8 billion euros.
Today, the Arcelor group belongs to the group Mittal Steel

  • 2009 : closing of the blast furnace of Ougrée and the rolling mill of Chertal. Fine history of the hot iron and steel industry with Liege, place of invention and older blast furnace installation of with coke.

Anecdotes

On the bridge of railroad of Kanchanaburi, in Thailand (which inspired “ the bridge of the river Kwaï ”), are rails stamps Made by John Cockerill, Ougrée, 1911 . The bridge and the railway were built in 1942 - 1943.

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • Cockerill-Sambre
  • Arcelor
  • Cockerill Mechanical Industry (henceforth independent of Arcelor, held by two former executives of Usinor, Bernard Serin and Pierre Meyers)
  • Seraing and Cockerill in postcards and old photographs
  • Eko-Stahl
  • municipal authorities of Seraing
  • John Cockerill and industry inhabitant of Li2ege - in Locomotive German
  • John Cockerill - in German

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