The SA Usine Boel (Usines Gustave Boël, or UGB) was a steel works located in La Louvière, Belgium, founded in 1851 as Fonderies et Laminoirs Ernest Boucquéau. From 1880 the works became the property of Gustave Boël.
After a failed acquisition by Koninklijke Hoogovens in 1997 the company became a subsidiary of Duferco in 1999, Duferco La Louvière. Blast furnace production was ended by the beginning of the 21st century. A joint venture including the plant was formed with NLMK in 2006, terminated in 2011, with the NLMK and Duferco splitting flat and long product facilities at the plant. Duferco closed their part of the plant in 2013. As of 2016 the flat products line continues operations as NLMK La Louvière.
History
In 1853 Ernest Boucquéau established an iron works in La Louvière, Fonderies et Laminoirs Ernest Boucquéau, situated on the Brussels–Charleroi Canal and in proximity to the Manage to Mons railway line. In 1862 Boucquéau founded the railway company Société du Chemin de Fer de Braine-le-Comte à Gand, the financial demands of the rail project brought Boucquéau to near bankruptcy, but was rescued with the financial aid of Gustave Boël, an accountant within his business. On the death of Boucquéau in 1880 he bequeathed the company to Boël.
By 1897 the company employed 1200 person. In 1913 facilities included two blast furnaces, two batteries of 41 coke ovens; a steel mill (estr.1903) with three Thomas converters; a steel mill with a Martin converter; as well as rolling mills, forges, workshops etc. During the