COMPANY PORTRAIT
1842
Founding of a hardware store in Mülheim an der Ruhr
Founding of a hardware store in Mülheim an der Ruhr
Wilhelm Grillo opened his first hardware store which he ran with the help of his wife. The house they lived in was also located on the premises and there was a blacksmith’s shop in the courtyard. Wilhelm was a descendant of the Essen branch of the Grillo family. In the past his ancestors had already distinguished themselves as successful factory owners in Iserlohn. As a young man he will already have thought about establishing a business himself.
1849
Zinc rolling mill in Neumühl
Zinc rolling mill in Neumühl
Wilhelm Grillo leased the estate of the New Mill by the Emscher river and in the existing mill building he set up his rolling mill which he operated by water power. It is open to question whether this was a first attempt to establish an industrial business with as little initial investment as possible. If so, significant success came soon. The crude zinc used for rolling was purchased from the Charles Rochaz & Co. zinc smelting works in Eppinghofen.
1854
Large-scale industry with steam power
Large-scale industry with steam power
Wilhelm Grillo was granted permission to install a steam engine – this was the beginning of the Grillo zinc rolling process in Oberhausen with two rolling mills in operation. Just on the other side of Oberhausen station, Vielle Montagne had set up zinc smelting works with which Wilhelm Grillo had secured a long-term supply contract. Soon he will also be producing illuminating gas and zinc oxide in Oberhausen.
1870
Founding of the company’s factory health insurance scheme
Founding of the company’s factory health insurance scheme
Wilhelm Grillo set up his own health insurance and support scheme for his workers at the rolling mill, the gas works and the zinc oxide factory. From 1885 onwards it existed as a company health insurance under state supervision. The workers took part in the Annual General Meeting and sat on the Board of the health insurance scheme. Family members were also covered in the event of illness and as surviving dependants.
1881
Hamborn zinc smelting works
Hamborn zinc smelting works
Wilhelm Grillo established the zinc smelting works in Hamborn and became a major purchaser of the coal produced by the nearby Deutscher Kaiser colliery, now thyssenkrupp Steel AG.
Ores used for the smelting of zinc – mainly zinc blende, but also zinc spar – came from the Harz mountains, the Siegerland area and the Upper Rhine region as well as from Italy, Spain and Norway. Metallic zinc was the raw material used in the rolling mill and the production of zinc oxide.
Ores used for the smelting of zinc – mainly zinc blende, but also zinc spar – came from the Harz mountains, the Siegerland area and the Upper Rhine region as well as from Italy, Spain and Norway. Metallic zinc was the raw material used in the rolling mill and the production of zinc oxide.
1894
Foundation of the Aktiengesellschaft für Zinkindustrie
Foundation of the Aktiengesellschaft für Zinkindustrie
While still alive, the founder transferred the company to his eldest sons. In 1894 Julius and August Grillo converted it into a public limited company. It was only through inheritance that all the siblings became involved, after August had died without a physical heir.
The company traded under the name Actien-Gesellschaft für Zink-Industrie vormals Wilhelm Grillo Oberhausen until 1966, when the name was changed to Grillo-Werke AG – the name it still has today.
The company traded under the name Actien-Gesellschaft für Zink-Industrie vormals Wilhelm Grillo Oberhausen until 1966, when the name was changed to Grillo-Werke AG – the name it still has today.
1909
Electric rolling in Hamborn
Electric rolling in Hamborn
A new, electrically driven rolling mill was built in Hamborn and expanded as early as 1911. The electricity was generated in an own electrical supply station.
In Hamborn, electric rolling was also the starting signal for further zinc processing which was followed by a rapid upswing.
In Hamborn, electric rolling was also the starting signal for further zinc processing which was followed by a rapid upswing.
1920
Headquarters moved to Hamborn
Headquarters moved to Hamborn
The company’s head office was moved to Hamborn. Formerly built as a residence for Julius Grillo, the villa next to the factory housed the administration.
While the AG für Zinkindustrie concentrated on production, the newly founded Wilhelm Grillo Handelsgesellschaft was to be responsible for trading in zinc, semi-finished products and chemical products. Grillo has been working with sulphur chemicals since 1885.
While the AG für Zinkindustrie concentrated on production, the newly founded Wilhelm Grillo Handelsgesellschaft was to be responsible for trading in zinc, semi-finished products and chemical products. Grillo has been working with sulphur chemicals since 1885.
1931
The Great Depression
The Great Depression
Industrial production worldwide collapsed because of the stock market crash. Back then Grillo-Werke also shut down parts of its plants one after the other. Semi-finished zinc products and sulphur chemicals were then produced again – in the 1940s, also using forced labourers and foreign workers. Grillo-Werke AG therefore joined the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”, an initiative launched by German industry and the German Government in 2000.
1945
A new beginning
A new beginning
Due to the direct effects of the war and deferred modernization, the company facilities were severely damaged by the end of the war. As early as 1945, the plant management started planning and rebuilding the plant itself. A little later, when production was resumed, structural damage in the factory and at the company housing estate was repaired.
1958
Wilhelm Grillo Handelsgesellschaft
Wilhelm Grillo Handelsgesellschaft
Herbert Grillo had chosen the metal trade as his field of work. Herbert Grillo was appointed to the Executive Board of Grillo-Werke in 1947 and remained a member until 1981. He then became a member of the Supervisory Board.
In the 1950s, trading in new and scrap metal expanded vastly, which was seen as a risk. From 1st January 1959, Herbert Grillo operated the trading company as an individual enterprise.
In the 1950s, trading in new and scrap metal expanded vastly, which was seen as a risk. From 1st January 1959, Herbert Grillo operated the trading company as an individual enterprise.
1966
RHEINZINK in Datteln
RHEINZINK in Datteln
In 1964 Grillo, Stolberger Zink AG and Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke AG co-founded the Studiengesellschaft für Metallverarbeitung. The newly founded company succeeded in adapting the continuous casting process invented by the American C. W. Hazelett for aluminium casting. Rheinzink in Datteln, which was jointly established in 1966, used the process on an industrial scale. It has been a wholly-owned Grillo subsidiary since 2005. The famous New York architect Daniel Libeskind designed the villa (photo), today the entrance building in Datteln.
1991
Grillo Zinkoxid in Goslar
Grillo Zinkoxid in Goslar
Since the production site in Oberhausen had been completely abandoned, Grillo began producing zinc oxide exclusively in Goslar in 1974.
At that time, Metall- und Farbwerke Goslar was owned by a limited liability company in which Grillo-Werke AG held 46 % of the shares. In 1990 Grillo-Werke AG completely took over Zinkoxid GmbH. Production has been running under the name of Grillo Zinkoxid GmbH since 1991.
Grillo-Werke AG also produces high-purity zinc powder at its Goslar site.
At that time, Metall- und Farbwerke Goslar was owned by a limited liability company in which Grillo-Werke AG held 46 % of the shares. In 1990 Grillo-Werke AG completely took over Zinkoxid GmbH. Production has been running under the name of Grillo Zinkoxid GmbH since 1991.
Grillo-Werke AG also produces high-purity zinc powder at its Goslar site.
1994
One hundred percent in family hands again
One hundred percent in family hands again
In 1994 the Metallgesellschaft AG’s block of shares in Grillo-Werke AG was bought back by sister and brother Gabriela Grillo and Rainer Grillo. Grillo-Werke AG is still family-owned today.
In the same year, ASB Informationstechnik was founded as an IT service provider and CHEMAD as an independent test laboratory.
2000
Historical responsibility
Historical responsibility
As a family-run company, it was without hesitation that Grillo-Werke AG joined the initiative of German industry which, together with the German Government, set up the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” in 2000. The Grillo family wanted to help and support victims of forced labour and National Socialist injustice. It is also important to the Grillo family that the Foundation supports international projects aiming at keeping alive the memory of the victims, strengthening human rights and promoting international understanding.
2007
Dimethyl sulphate at the Frankfurt site
Dimethyl sulphate at the Frankfurt site
After the acquisition of the Clariant dimethyl sulphate (DMS) operation, the Chemicals Division continued to grow at its Frankfurt site. Grillo-Werke AG had already been producing sulphuric acid at the Industrial Park Höchst since 1997.
DMS is a strong methylating agent. It is used in fabric softeners and in the synthesis of cosmetics and colouring agents as well as in pharmaceutical products and crop protection products.
DMS is a strong methylating agent. It is used in fabric softeners and in the synthesis of cosmetics and colouring agents as well as in pharmaceutical products and crop protection products.
2009
Energy-efficient headquarters
Energy-efficient headquarters
The new administration building has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The building is heated or cooled by heat pumps whose energy is effectively used by means of concrete core activation – supplemented by solar heat on the roof. Rainwater is used as service water in the building and for the green areas.
2012
Dimethyl ether production in Frankfurt
Dimethyl ether production in Frankfurt
After having successfully produced dimethyl sulphate (DMS) in Frankfurt, Grillo-Werke AG invested in 2012 in a 20,000-tonne production facility in order to manufacture the required precursor chemical dimethyl ether (DME).
DME is also marketed under the brand name of Grillo-one.
DME is also marketed under the brand name of Grillo-one.
2017
Zinc Extrusion Products
Zinc Extrusion Products
Special alloys produced from zinc, aluminium and copper have been developed under the ZEP® brand and are used as starting products for door levers, lock cylinders, fittings and other metal accessories. The combination of new alloys and new processes allows the production of semi-finished zinc products which are very easy to cut and forge. ZEP® products are manufactured as round rods or with hexagonal or hollow profiles.
The Founder
Wilhelm Grillo was one of the founding fathers of industry in the Ruhr region. He was a man with enormous energy, visionary thinking and social involvement, and he started an impressive business development programme in 1842, when he was just 23. A hardware store in Mülheim an der Ruhr was followed by a zinc rolling mill in Duisburg-Neumühl in 1849. Only a few years later – in 1855 – he founded the first production plants for zinc oxide in Oberhausen, alongside two rolling mills and a gas production plant.
History
From 1881, the crude zinc needed by the plants in Oberhausen was produced in a proprietary smelting plant in Duisburg-Hamborn. Liquid sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid were by-products of this process. Today the headquarters are in Duisburg-Hamborn.
