Cockerill: The Heart of Belgian Manufacturing

Cockerill is the company which sits squarely at the heart of Belgian manufacturing. Throughout its existence it has turned its hand to not only the manufacture of iron and steel, but also to finely engineered machines including steam engines, trains and even battleships. It developed a stellar reputation and rose to become a major force in the steel industry of Western Europe. Adolphe Greiner the director-general, among other members of the management, remained at their posts throughout the siege of Liege in the Great War, ensuring that employment remained open to its workforce as long as it could. Once occupied, the company refused to manufacture for the occupying forces, and was therefore gutted for the majority of its heavy steel working equipment. It has since recovered during the interwar period and remains a foremost industrial concern.