HWI, a member of Calderys and a supplier of refractory products and services in the United States, celebrated the official opening of its new lightweight monolithics production facility in Fulton, Mo.
The greenfield investment increases HWI’s lightweight monolithics production capacity and reinforces its commitment to reliable, innovative, and sustainable solutions for customers across the Americas.
Built on existing HWI property at the company’s Rotary Kiln complex, the state-of-the-art facility has direct access to high-quality local clay reserves, enabling true vertical integration forgreater supply security and consistent raw material quality. Advanced features include apurpose-built furnace system for GREENLITE aggregate production, full robotic automation for packaging and material handling, and upgraded packaging options.
“Demand for these high-performance, energy-saving lightweight refractories continues to grow rapidly while global supply chains remain under pressure,” said Michel Cornelissen, president and CEO of Calderys Group. “This added capacity strengthens availability and ensures we reliably support customers’ operations, growth, and sustainability goals.”
The Fulton facility enables dramatically shorter lead times, dedicated make-to-stock inventory, and gives HWI the flexibility to pursue new business opportunities and larger-scale projects that were previously limited by tight supply. Premium GREENLITE products – including the GREENLITE-45-L family of monolithics and GREENLITE 115 AR brick – are now shipping at scale to HWI’s distribution network.
“The expansion builds on our more than 100-year legacy in Missouri and reinforces HWI’s innovation and capacity strengths in lightweight monolithics across North America,” noted Ross Wilkin, senior vice president of the Americas region for Calderys Group. “Our strategically located facilities and strong networks enable us to deliver greater efficiencies and responsiveness for customers throughout the region.”
