Forges de la Providence
| Industry | Steel |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1836 |
| Headquarters | Marchienne-au-Pont, Charleroi, Belgium |
| Subsidiaries | Providence Russe (1898-1902) |
Forges de la Providence was a Belgian steel producing company based in the Hainaut region around Charleroi. Founded as Société Anonyme des laminoirs, forges, fonderies et usines de la Providence the company had three steel production sites at Marchienne-au-Pont in Belgium, and Réhon and Hautmont in France.
The company was independent until 1966 when it became part of the Cockerill-Ougrée, briefly being absorbed into Thy-Marcinelle et Monceau before becoming part of Cockerill-Sambre.
In the 1980s the French steel plants closed, the Belgian plant continued to operate until 2008, becoming part of the Duferco group as Carsid at the beginngin of the 21st century. Coke and blast furnace production CARSID plant closed in 2008 due to an economic downturn, and did not restart - the plant was closed in 2012.
In 1836 the Englishman Thomas Bonehill built puddling furnaces for the Puissant and Licot de Nîmes families; in 1838 the company Société Anonyme des laminoirs, forges, fonderies et usines de la Providence was formed by Clément-Joseph Delbruyère together with Edmond et Jules Puissant and Thomas Bonehill with a permitted capital of 1500,000 francs in order to construct a coke fire blast furnace, together with other equipment from Puissant and Bonehill's company la société le grand laminoir de la Providence, including steam engines (50 and 80 hp), and metal working equipment including hammers, four rolling mills, shears, puddling furnaces, casting equipment and molds as well as associated land, workshops and offices, and refractory brick manufacturing facilities.
The first steelworks was at Marchienne-au-Pont, Charleroi (Belgium); in 1843 the company decided to construct a second steelworks in Hautmont (France), equipped to produce plate and rails in expectation of orders for the construction of the French railways. In 1849 Bonehill's successor Alphonse Halbou patented a method for the production of I-beams by rolling.
Later, another steelworks in Réhon (France) was constructed, and the first blast furnace began production in 1866.
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