Keulahütte

Keulahütte GmbH is a German foundry company headquartered in Krauschwitz in the Landkreis Görlitz, Saxony. Its site at Keula has been used for iron production for centuries, evolving from an iron hammer works through an ironworks to the present-day foundry. The company name Keulahütte was adopted in 1929. Today the firm specialises in pressure pipe fittings, valves, hydrants, and customer and architectural castings. Its delivery programme covers pressure pipe fittings and valves for drinking water, gas and wastewater applications, hydrants, and customer castings; architectural castings include reproductions of historical models and street furniture. After the Second World War the operation developed as VEB Keulahütte Krauschwitz (KHK), later belonging to the VEB Magdeburger Armaturenwerke "Karl Marx" – Armaturenkombinat (MAW), becoming a casting and valve manufacturer. At times the plant employed more than 1,100 people. With German reunification a massive market adjustment process began, and the company shrank considerably. On 1 January 1997 it was privatised by the Blaubeuren entrepreneurial family Adolf Merckle, after which Keulahütte belonged to VEM Holding until 2017. At the beginning of 2018 Keulahütte GmbH was sold to KHK Casting AG, based in Zug, Switzerland. The Krauschwitz operation is to be integrated operationally into the "von Roll hydro Group" and further developed in the areas of infrastructure casting for water and gas supply as well as industrial casting. Within the von Roll hydro brand portfolio, Keula is listed alongside Duktus and Altecno. The group describes itself as providing "Security for strategic water" and emphasises customer focus based on reliability, flexibility and expertise, high quality standards through stable processes and continuous improvement, safe workplaces, and environmentally conscious action.

The Keula site has developed over centuries from an iron hammer through an ironworks to today's Keulahütte foundry. According to the local historian Robert Pohl in his 1924 "Heimatbuch des Kreises Rothenburg O.-L. für Schule und Haus" (page 73), the iron hammer in Keula was probably first mentioned in a document in 1440, although that work lacks any source references. The oldest document found so far dates to 3 September 1513; it is nevertheless assumed that the hammer is at least 200 years older. With the industrialisation of Berlin in the 19th century, the operation profiled itself in water-management and mechanical-engineering cast products. During the Second World War three quarters of the plant were destroyed. In 1929 the Eisenhüttenwerk Keula became the Keulahütte. After the war the company developed as VEB Keulahütte Krauschwitz (KHK), later belonging to the VEB Magdeburger Armaturenwerke "Karl Marx" – Armaturenkombinat (MAW), into a casting and valve manufacturer. The plant had a direct connection to the Weißwasser–Bad Muskau railway line. The workers' housing cooperative Keulahütte, founded in 1954, built multi-family houses for employees in Krauschwitz on a larger scale in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1980s the combine affiliation briefly changed from MAW to the Spezialbaukombinat Wasserbau. At times more than 1,100 people were employed at the plant. With the Wende (reunification) a massive market adjustment process began, as a result of which the company shrank considerably. On 1 January 1997 privatisation took place through the Blaubeuren entrepreneurial family Adolf Merckle. Afterwards Keulahütte belonged to VEM Holding until 2017. At the beginning of 2018 Keulahütte GmbH was sold to KHK Casting AG, based in Zug, Switzerland. The Krauschwitz operation is to be integrated operationally into the "von Roll hydro Group" and further developed in the areas of infrastructure casting for water and gas supply as well as industrial casting.

• 2018

  Sale of Keulahütte GmbH to KHK Casting AG (Zug, Switzerland); operational integration into the von Roll hydro Group planned.

• 2017

  End of Keulahütte's membership in VEM Holding.

• 1997

  Privatisation on 1 January 1997 by the Blaubeuren entrepreneurial family Adolf Merckle; company belongs to VEM Holding.

• 1954

  Workers' housing cooperative Keulahütte founded.

• 1929

  Eisenhüttenwerk Keula becomes Keulahütte.

• 1513

  Oldest document found so far, dated 3 September 1513.

• 1440

  Probable first documentary mention of the iron hammer in Keula (per Robert Pohl, 1924, without source references).

Specialist foundry for infrastructure casting (water and gas) and industrial casting, integrated into the von Roll hydro Group's "Security for strategic water" portfolio.

• Pressure pipe fittings

  Fittings for drinking water, gas and wastewater applications.

• Valves

  Valves for water, gas and wastewater applications.

• Hydrants

  Hydrants for water infrastructure.

• Customer castings

  Castings produced to customer specifications.

• Architectural castings

  Reproductions of historical models and street furniture.

1. 1Keulahütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Keulahütte – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3ZEROWATERLOSS - VONROLL HYDRO - Security for strategic watervonroll-hydro.world
4. 4Brands - VONROLL HYDRO - Security for strategic watervonroll-hydro.world
5. 5Company policy - VONROLL HYDRO - Security for strategic watervonroll-hydro.world