Stahl Gerlafingen AG
Switzerland's largest recycling steel producer, making reinforcing and profile steel from scrap at its historic Gerlafingen works.
Last updated September 29, 2026
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Overview
Stahl Gerlafingen AG is a Swiss steel producer based in Gerlafingen in the canton of Solothurn. It describes itself as the largest recycling steel producer in Switzerland and traces its site back to the Ludwig von Roll ironworks founded in 1803, with a forge established at Gerlafingen in 1818 and the operating company Ludwig von Roll'sche Eisenhütten und Bergwerke beginning work on 1 July 1823. A rolling mill followed in 1836 and a steelworks in 1918. The company produces reinforcing steel (Bewehrungsstahl) and profile steel (Profilstahl) from recycled iron scrap, supplying the building and civil engineering sectors as well as industry. Its products are used in buildings, bridges and tunnels, and the majority of output is consumed or further processed in Switzerland and neighbouring countries. According to the AFV Beltrame Group website, the Gerlafingen site covers 530,000 square metres, has a steelworks production capacity of 720,000 tonnes and a reinforcing steel capacity of 620,000 tonnes, and employs around 440 people who produce roughly 600,000 tonnes of steel products per year. The company also trains 10 to 15 apprentices and interns. It positions itself around high quality, flexibility and delivery readiness, and argues that Swiss steel production is system-relevant for an active and environmentally sound circular economy of scrap. Ownership has changed several times. In 1996 Von Roll sold its steel activities, bundled in Von Roll Stahl AG, to von Moos Holding AG; the business was first renamed Stahl- und Walzwerke Gerlafingen AG and in 1998 Stahl Gerlafingen AG. The merger of the former Von Roll subsidiary with the von Moos group created Swiss Steel AG, which in 2003 was majority-acquired by the German Schmolz + Bickenbach AG and Gebuka AG. In 2006 Swiss Steel sold 65 percent of Stahl Gerlafingen AG to the Italian AFV Acciaierie Beltrame S.p.A., and in 2010 AFV Beltrame took full ownership. Stahl Gerlafingen is therefore a subsidiary within the privately held AFV Beltrame Group, a European steel producer active since 1896 with electric furnace steelworks and rolling mills in Italy, France, Switzerland and Romania. The company celebrated its 200-year anniversary in 2023. It has faced pressure from the energy crisis that began in 2021, applying for and receiving short-time work (Kurzarbeit) for October to December 2022, and in March 2024 it became known that the profile steel production line would be shut down. Environmental issues have accompanied the works for decades, including air pollutant emissions, soil contamination in the surrounding area and discharges into the river Emme, with mitigation measures such as a new filter system from 1997 and a wastewater pre-treatment plant in 1999.
History
The Gerlafingen steelworks traces its roots to the Ludwig von Roll'sche Eisenwerke founded in 1803, which later became the Von Roll group. A forge was established at the Gerlafingen site in 1818, and on 1 July 1823 the operating company Ludwig von Roll'sche Eisenhütten und Bergwerke began operations. A rolling mill was commissioned in 1836, followed by a steelworks in 1918. For much of the 20th century the site was part of the Von Roll industrial group, and the surrounding community of Gerlafingen developed as a company town, a history documented in studies of the Von Roll steel concern between 1918 and 1939. In 1996 Von Roll sold its steel activities, bundled in Von Roll Stahl AG, to von Moos Holding AG. The business was initially renamed Stahl- und Walzwerke Gerlafingen AG and in 1998 became Stahl Gerlafingen AG. The merger of the former Von Roll subsidiary with the von Moos group created Swiss Steel AG, which in 2003 was majority-acquired by the German Schmolz + Bickenbach AG and Gebuka AG. In 2006 Swiss Steel sold 65 percent of Stahl Gerlafingen AG to the Italian AFV Acciaierie Beltrame S.p.A., and in 2010 AFV Beltrame S.p.A. acquired Stahl Gerlafingen AG in full. AFV Beltrame itself was founded in 1896 as the "Premiato Electric Power Mechanical Plant with Antonio Beltrame Foundry". In the first half of the 20th century it expanded into merchant bar products — flat, square, round and angular bars and L, T, I, U and H sections for structural uses — and in the second half of the century consolidated with new plants at Marghera and San Giorgio di Nogaro and acquired the French Laminés Marchands Européens S.A. In the 2000s AFV took on the character of a group with Siderurgica Ferrero (2002), Swiss Stahl Gerlafingen (2006) and Romanian S.C. Donalam (2007). Today AFV Beltrame Group describes itself as a multinational industrial company and European leader with 4 electric furnace steelworks and 12 rolling mills across 7 sites in Italy, France, Switzerland and Romania, employing more than 2,500 people. Stahl Gerlafingen produces reinforcing and profile steel from recycled iron scrap. Its recycling model is closely tied to the Swiss material cycle: per capita, about 8 tonnes of steel are in use in Swiss buildings and goods, about 340 kg of new steel is added per capita each year — of which roughly 150 kg is reinforcing and profile steel — and about 190 kg goes out of service and becomes scrap. Recovering this scrap, sometimes called urban mining, makes the iron usable again. Stahl Gerlafingen operates its recycling close to both scrap sources and steel users, keeping average transport distances below 90 km, half of which is by rail. Nevertheless, transport and the electric arc furnace produce significant CO2 emissions. Environmental issues have accompanied the works from the beginning. After Switzerland introduced environmental legislation, Von Roll was required to install filters, but limit values under the Swiss air pollution control ordinance (LRV) were still periodically exceeded, especially near Biberist and Gerlafingen. The problem worsened with a new melting furnace in the 1990s until the cantonal Office for the Environment (AfU) intervened and required a new, better filter system. From August 1997 emission values improved noticeably and limit values for the heavy metals lead, cadmium, copper and zinc and for particulate matter were largely met, with dioxins and furans requiring additional measures. In 2014 the positive trend continued, although limit values for zinc in particular were repeatedly exceeded. Soil contamination in the area up to 1,500 metres around the works remained above the so-called examination value because of historical accumulation, and the AfU described a potential risk to children playing on bare soil, to house gardens and to grazing animals and the food chain. Groundwater monitoring was added at the end of 2004. Discharges of wastewater and sinter into the river Emme were another problem, addressed by a new wastewater pre-treatment plant commissioned in 1999. In the 2020s the company faced severe energy-market pressure. Following the global energy crisis from 2021 and massive increases in electricity and gas prices, Stahl Gerlafingen applied preventively to the canton for short-time work (Kurzarbeit) for October to December 2022 and received approval. After celebrating its 200-year anniversary in 2023, it became known in March 2024 that the profile steel production line would be shut down.
- 2024
In March it becomes known that the profile steel production line will be shut down.
- 2023
The company celebrates its 200-year anniversary.
- 2022
Short-time work approved for October to December amid the energy crisis.
- 2010
AFV Beltrame S.p.A. acquires Stahl Gerlafingen AG in full.
- 2007
AFV Beltrame acquires Romanian S.C. Donalam.
- 2006
Swiss Steel sells 65 percent of Stahl Gerlafingen AG to AFV Acciaierie Beltrame S.p.A.
- 2003
Swiss Steel AG is majority-acquired by Schmolz + Bickenbach AG and Gebuka AG.
- 2002
AFV Beltrame acquires Siderurgica Ferrero.
- 1999
A new wastewater pre-treatment plant is commissioned to reduce discharges into the Emme.
- 1998
The company is renamed Stahl Gerlafingen AG.
Products and positioning
Switzerland's largest recycling steel producer, focused on high quality, flexibility and delivery readiness, and on a low-CO2 circular economy of scrap steel.
Reinforcing steel (Bewehrungsstahl)
High-quality reinforcing steel for high-rise and civil engineering, used in buildings, bridges and tunnels.
Profile steel (Profilstahl)
Structural sections for construction and industry; production line slated for shutdown in 2024.
Rolled beams (HE, IPE, IPN, UPE/UAP, UPN)
Standard European beam sections produced to EN 10365 and related standards.
Angles, flats, squares, rounds, T bars
Merchant bar products in equal and unequal angles, flat bars, squares, rounds and T bars.
Wire rod
Wire rod produced to DIN 59110.
Special Bar Quality (SBQ)
Special bar quality steel to EN 10060 / EN 10308 / EN 10221.
Stock meshes and connecting systems
Artec B500B stock meshes, connecting systems and distance cones.
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