Böhler-Werke#

Boehler-Werke, one of the oldest manufacturers of stainless steel in Central Europe; the history of the production sites goes back to the 15th century. In 1894, the four Boehler brothers, who had immigrated from Germany, took over the Oesterreichisch-Alpine Montangesellschaft, the crucible-steel works at Kapfenberg (Styria) including the hammer mills; after the death of the last brother, the company continued to exist as a company limited by shares. From the very start, the company had focused on exports and had held branches all over the world before World War I. In 1914, a subsidiary company was set up in Duesseldorf (Germany) and in 1926, the company acquired a share of a steelmill at Ravne (Slovenia). During World War I and World War II, production sites in Styria were considerably expanded. In 1945, a considerable part of the company's productive plant was dismantled, and the company was nationalised in 1946 ( Nationalised Industry) and later steadily expanded and modernised. In 1975, when the company was merged with Schoeller-Bleckmann and the Styrian crucible steel mills (Steirische Gussstahlwerke) to form the Vereinigte Edelstahlwerke AG (VEW), it employed approx. 8,000 people.

In 1980, stainless steel production worldwide went through a crisis; the VEW was dissolved in 1988 and the Boehler-Werke were made part of Austrian Industries AG as Boehler Ges.m.b.H. In 1991, the company merged with the Swedish Uddeholm AB to form Boehler-Uddeholm AG.