Société Métallurgique de Normandie

The Société Métallurgique de Normandie (Metallurgic Company of Normandy), or SMN was a steel mill in Caen (Colombelles), Normandy. It opened in 1912 and closed in 1993.

In 1910, the Thyssen Group obtained the concession for mining iron in the lower region of Calvados between Soumont and Urville. The Société des Hauts Fourneaux et Aciéries was created by Baron Thyssen two years later, in 1912. The plant was built along the right bank of the River Orne and of the Canal de Caen à la Mer. It originally covered an area 160 hectares and produced 250 000 tons of steel in 1938. Product was exported to the UK, Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, North Africa and other coastal regions of France. The iron mined to the South of Caen was transported on a mineral railway from Potigny. The works were bought by French interests in 1914 and continued to operate until 1940.

The company, under construction, was in great need of labour and imported much of it from abroad up until 1920. The 1930s crisis led to the departure of this labour. The need for qualified labour to operate the plant led to the recall of much of the foreign labour as well as specialised French labour.

At the start of World War II the plant employed 4000 workers. In June 1940, Germany began their occupation of Calvados and stopped all work at the SMN. As early as the end of June, the Germans desired to resume production and work resumed. The ovens were not switched on by 1000 workers were employed to maintain the plant. Then, production resumed. Two ovens were switched back on as well as the railway offices. The restart was chaotic since all coal was exported to Germany for the war effort.

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