Haznedar Durer Refractories has merged with Calderys

Haznedar Refractories and Durer Monolithics have merged to form Haznedar Durer Refractories, which in turn has joined forces with Calderys. “Together, we will continue to be the strongest solution partner of industries working with extreme temperatures and conditions with our high quality refractory bricks and monolithic products,” the company says.

The acquisition of  a 60% stake in Haznedar’s bricks and monolithics businesses now grouped into one single entity called Haznedar Durer has been completed. This means the company is expanding its portfolio and services and it can now propose a complete refractory offering to customers – particularly those in Europe and the Middle East.

Haznedar Durer offers high-grade basic and acidic bricks, as well as alumina silicate-based monolithics and magnesium oxide products to the iron & steel, cement and petrochemical industries.

A growing business with a significant export ratio, it will complement its portfolio and allow it to meet the demand for bricks coming from its iron & steel and cement customers. Additionally, the accompaniment of Haznedar Durer will open up further business opportunities in a large geographic market with high-growth regions.

Here, Michel Cornelissen, Senior Vice President of Calderys, and Salih Erez, who will head up Calderys’ activities in Turkey, reflect on the significance of the deal for both companies and highlight how it will strengthen our portfolios and services.

Salih, tell more about Haznedar Durer and the key milestones in its history: “Haznedar was founded in 1929 in Istanbul, for manufacturing refractory bricks and tiles for the developing Turkish industry. The current stakeholders took over the business in 1952 and the production of monolithics commenced in 1977.”

“One of the biggest changes came in 2000 as the construction of the new plant, 80 kilometers outside of Istanbul, started. Consequently, all of our bricks and monolithics production got transferred to the new plant.

The latter plant is equipped with modern machinery and has been efficiently designed to benefit the workflow. It is located in a logistically advantageous area, being next to the main highway with a close proximity to the railway station and a 50-kilometre distance from the biggest port of Turkey.

Haznedar Durer mainly produces high-grade alumina-based bricks, magnesia carbon bricks and alumina-based monolithic refractories, with a total capacity of 90,000 tons per year. 

About 60% of its sales are local and the other 40% is export oriented. Haznedar Durer customers cover five continents, mainly in the iron & steel and cement & lime industries. However, environmental technology plants, non-ferrous and petrochemical sectors are also important markets for the company.

Michel Cornelissen says: “Haznedar Durer offers high-quality brick production, which complements our current product range. It enables us to offer a full refractory solution to our customer base – not just the traditional acidic monolithics, but also now bricks. Very few customers use acidic monolithics only. More and more customers are expecting their refractory suppliers to be a one-stop shop to meet their needs, from supplying the product itself to offering technical and engineering expertise – and sometimes carrying out installations.”

“Turkey will be one of the leading iron and steel-producing countries in the future – it is a key bridge between Europe and the Middle East. Haznedar Durer is highly recognized in the market, not just in Turkey but as an exporter to other countries, and is one of the leaders in terms of quality and customer service.

“Clearly, this deal cements Calderys’ position in our main industry segments and a fast-growing Turkish market.”