Empire Refractory Sales

What Empire Refractory Sales does

Empire Refractory Sales, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned specialty industrial contractor headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a secondary office in Wheeling, West Virginia. The company provides end-to-end refractory services, including custom system design and engineering, sale of refractory materials (anchors, brick, castables, ceramic fiber, dry-vibe, grout, mortar, plastics) sourced from multiple manufacturers, in-house engineered precast shapes, steel fabrication, furnace relines, 24/7 emergency installation response, and consulting on material selection. Its core technology is craft-based rather than software-based: it relies on accumulated field expertise (the organization claims 200+ years of combined refractory experience), proprietary in-house design capability for special precast shapes, and certified installer status with leading refractory material suppliers such as Harbison Walker International (since 1985), Capital Refractories, Saint-Gobain, Resco, Plibrico, Unifrax, URC, Magneco, Ceramsource, and Alsey.

The company serves industrial customers across ten vertical markets: steel, aluminum, brass, copper, iron, pulp and paper, utility, cremation, heat treating, and incineration. Its go-to-market is sales-led enterprise field sales with quote-based pricing on a project-by-project basis, supported by a 24/7 service line, a request-a-quote web form, and same-day shipping from a large on-hand warehouse inventory. Empire is privately held by Mark Hinkel, son of founder Dale Hinkel, and is not institutionally backed. There are no disclosed revenue figures, no external funding, and no AI or software product layer; the value proposition rests on trusted-advisor relationships, deep craft expertise, emergency responsiveness, and supply-chain scale rather than on proprietary technology.

Name

Empire Refractory Sales

Legal name

Empire Refractory Sales, Inc.

Website

https://empirerefractory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Empire Refractory Sales is a privately held, family-owned specialty contractor providing refractory system design, materials resale, engineered precast shapes, steel fabrication, and 24/7 field installation services to industrial customers across steel, non-ferrous metals, pulp and paper, utility, cremation, heat treating, and incineration verticals in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Refractory Services

NAICS

Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423510)

SIC

Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290), Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099)

akta.pro primary industry

Refractory & Metallurgical Consumables Distribution (Fluxes, electrodes, refractories) (IMAKAJAM)

Keywords

• Refractory installation services
• Industrial furnace relines
• Refractory materials supply
• High-temperature equipment services
• Engineered precast shapes

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Installation Services: Field installation of refractory systems for industrial furnaces and thermal processing equipment. Includes emergency response, maintenance repairs, and complete furnace relines.
2. Material Sales: Sale of refractory materials including anchors, brick, castables, ceramic fiber, dry-vibe, grout, mortar, and plastics. Large warehouse inventory with same-day shipping capability.
3. Furnace Relines: Complete furnace reline services for industrial clients requiring full refractory system replacement.
4. Steel Fabrication: Custom steel fabrication services supporting refractory installations.
5. Consulting: Expert consulting services for refractory system design and material selection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empire Refractory Sales is a complete refractory service company that designs, supplies, and installs refractory systems for high-temperature industrial equipment including furnaces, kilns, incinerators, cremation units, and boilers. The company offers field installation services, furnace relines, refractory material sales (brick, castables, anchors, ceramic fiber, dry-vibe, grout, mortar, plastics), engineered precast shapes, steel fabrication, and consulting for industrial clients across steel, non-ferrous metals, iron, pulp and paper, utility, cremation, heat treating, and incineration sectors throughout the United States.

Product overview

Empire Refractory Sales offers a comprehensive refractory service portfolio centered on three core service areas: Installation Services, Material Sales, and Consulting. Their Installation Services encompass full-service refractory installation, furnace relines, engineered precast shapes, and steel fabrication. Their Material Sales division offers an extensive catalog of refractory products including Brick (firebrick, insulating firebrick, silicon carbide firebrick), Castables (conventional, gunning, low cement, insulating), Anchors (ceramic, metallic), Ceramic Fiber (blanket, board, paper, rope, tape), Dry-Vibe, Grout, Mortar, and Plastics. These products and services work together as an integrated offering—customers can purchase materials and receive professional installation, design consultation, and complete furnace relines from a single provider. The company serves industries including Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Cremation, Heat Treating, Incineration, Iron, Pulp & Paper, Steel, and Utility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Installation Services Complete refractory installation services for industrial furnaces and thermal processing equipment, including field installations, furnace relines, and emergency repairs for clients across the United States.
• Material Sales Sale of refractory materials from trusted manufacturers, including anchors, brick, castables, ceramic fiber, dry-vibe, grout, mortar, and plastics. Large warehouse inventory supports same-day shipping.
• Furnace Relines Complete furnace reline services for industrial applications, covering cupola maintenance, rotary furnaces, and reverberatory furnaces requiring full refractory system replacement.
• Engineered Precast Shapes Custom-designed and engineered special refractory shapes manufactured in-house by Empire to meet specific process requirements for industrial furnace applications.
• Steel Fabrication Steel fabrication services performed both in the field and in-shop to support refractory installations and related industrial applications.
• Consulting Expert consulting services for refractory system design and material selection, supporting industrial customers in choosing the right refractory solutions for their high-temperature applications.
• Brick Refractory brick products including Alumina Firebrick, Chrome Magnesite Firebrick, Insulating Firebrick, Light/Medium/Super Duty Firebrick, Silicon Carbide Firebrick, and Super Duty Tile, supplied to industrial customers for high-temperature furnace and kiln linings.
• Castables Castable refractory products including Conventional, Flooring Refractory Concrete, Gunning, Insulating, Low Cement, Low Iron, and Thermbond variants for industrial furnace linings.
• Anchors Ceramic and metallic anchors used to hold refractory linings to walls, prevent buckling from thermal stresses, and support refractory weight in industrial furnace installations.
• Ceramic Fiber Lightweight ceramic fiber insulation products including Blanket, Board, Paper, Rope, and Tape for thermal efficiency applications in industrial equipment.
• Dry-Vibe Dry-vibe refractory designed for mechanical vibration installation in tundish applications, available in Alumina-Silicon Carbide, Alumina High, Alumina High Purity, Chromia, and Magnesia formulations.
• Grout High alumina refractory coil grout used for coating induction furnace inner coil surfaces with high temperature resistant adhesives.
• Mortar Specially engineered refractory mortar blends including Alumina, Fireclay, Phosphate Bonded, and Silicon Carbide variants for placing bricks and precast shapes.
• Plastics Plastic refractories consisting of 70-80% granular and powdery materials with plastic clay, available in Chrome, Gunned, and Ramming Mixes for hand or pneumatic placement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Emergency reline jobs that minimize downtime and repercussions of equipment failure
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Harbison Walker International (HWI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Proud member of Harbison Walker International's Contractor Installer Program since 1985. Empire Refractory serves as an authorized installer for HWI refractory products, providing certified installation services to customers using HWI materials.
• Capital Refractories InccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated as Capital Refractories Inc's primary Certified Installation Partner in the United States. Capital Refractories supplies refractory materials while Empire provides certified installation services. This is described as a valued partnership where Capital calls Empire 'our most valued partner for refractory installation and solutions.'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HarbisonWalker International: Largest US-based refractory manufacturer and installer with full materials-plus-installation capability. Empire is both a customer (HWI products) and a direct competitor for installation work, making HWI the closest broad incumbent comparable.
• Resco Products: Vertically integrated refractory manufacturer with installation services serving steel, aluminum, and other high-temperature industries. Comparable because it competes for both refractory material sale and installation contracts across Empire's core verticals.
• RHI Magnesita: Global refractory giant combining raw magnesia production through installation services. Represents the international consolidated player that competes for large-scale steel and metals furnace contracts adjacent to Empire's market.
• Saint-Gobain (Refractory Division): Global industrial materials company with a refractory product line supplying Empire. Competes for material specification in the same furnace lining bids and offers installation-adjacent services at larger scale.
• Unifrax (now Alkegen): Ceramic fiber specialist supplier to Empire that also sells direct to furnace operators in the same high-temperature insulation applications. Comparable on the ceramic fiber product line and high-temperature insulation use cases.

Direct peers

• Plibrico Company: Refractory installation and materials company offering monolithic refractories and turnkey installation. Listed as an Empire supplier partner but also a direct competitor in the US refractory contractor market with similar service model.
• Capital Refractories Inc: Refractory materials supplier for which Empire is the primary Certified Installation Partner. Comparable as a vertically-aligned refractory company operating in the same verticals and customer base.
• Magneco/Metrel: Specialty refractory manufacturer focused on monolithic and precast shapes for steel, aluminum, and glass. Comparable because it competes in the same specialty/precast shape engineering niche Empire highlights as a differentiator.
• BNZ Materials: Manufacturer and supplier of industrial refractory and insulation products serving steel, aluminum, foundry, and incineration markets. Comparable mid-sized refractory competitor operating in the same verticals.

Emerging players

• P-D Refractories: European-based refractory manufacturer with growing US presence offering monolithic products and installation support. Comparable as a growing specialty competitor in similar high-temperature industrial applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empire Refractory Sales