The Company History
1942 – history of currently the largest metallurgical company in the Czech Republic began At that time, Vítkovice Steelworks, the development possibilities of which were limited by their placing in the town, started a construction of their southern plant in Kunčice.
1947 – 1948 – It was decided on the construction of steel plant that at that time should be a part of Vítkovice Steelworks. |
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31st December, 1951 – the plant became independent company named Nová Huť Klementa Gottwalda (NHKG), national corporation.
1951 – 1958 – In the first stage of the corporation existence the steel works consisted of five coke oven batteries, two blast furnaces including a casting machine, four open-hearth furnaces and five soaking pits, a blooming mill, a tube and pipe rolling mill, grey iron foundry and a part of a power plant including water system.
1958 – 1961 – in the next phase, namely the capacities for production of basic raw materials such as coke, liquid iron and steel were extended, however finishing mills for subsequent processing of these products were built as well. Those times also a rolling mill and a line producing car, truck and tractor wheels were commissioned. The number of coke oven batteries was extended by four and two new blast furnaces and five steel making furnaces were added up. A new blooming mill, strip rolling mills P-250 and P-800, a continuous wire mill, pipe manufacturing facilities, oxygen plant and other facilities were also built.
1967 – 1985 – the open-hearth furnaces underwent an extensive modernizing to tandem furnaces. Another larger investment projects included construction of a medium and fine section mill in the southern part of the works, a central oxygen plant and a high-capacity coke oven battery.
1989 – The company name was changed form NHKG to Nová Huť, state enterprise. This change brought also significant technological developments in particular steel casting to ingots was replaced by continuous casting of steel.
1993 – 1999 – Continuous casting machines were added gradually. The first one in December 1993, the second one four years later and the third one in August 1999. This change brought higher steel yield and significantly lower power consumption. Equally significant event was the construction of hot wide strip rolling mill replacing two obsolete strip mills. This new facility was named Strip Mini-Mill.
2003 – The end of January became an important milestone when Lakshmi Mittal, whose strategy was based above all on restructuring and modernization of declining steelworks, bought Nová Huť ironworks in the scheme of privatization and till mid April the company was transformed and renamed ISPAT Nová Huť, a. s.
2004 – The name of the company changed again at the end of the year, this time to Mittal Steel Ostrava, a. s. In the frame of privatization, some of operations and plants were transformed in affiliated or subsidiary companies, for example JÄKL Karviná, a. s., Nová Huť Zábřeh, a. s. or Vysoké pece Ostrava, a. s.
2006 - The efforts of Lakshmí Mittal to take over the world’s second biggest steel making group Arcelor became the most discussed topic in the steel making business. By the end of June of that year, the board Arcelor announced the merger with Mittal Steel thus forming the world’s biggest steel making group. In consequence of this change the name of the Ostrava based company was changed to ArcelorMittal Ostrava.
2007 – Some of the companies externalized in the year 2004 were joined to the parent company organization again.
July 2019 – Liberty Ostrava a.s.