Viktoria Garten Metallurgical Equipment

What Viktoria Garten Metallurgical Equipment does

VGH Viktoria Garten Hüttenindustriebedarf GmbH (operating as VGH Group) is a privately held German manufacturer and supplier of refractory products for the global steel and non-ferrous metals industries, founded in 1993 by Viktoria Garten. The company designs, engineers, and produces shaped and unshaped refractory products under its proprietary Theramer brand at owned production facilities in Hattingen, Germany (since 2006) and Yingkou, China (since 2016, with unshaped refractory production added in 2024). Its product portfolio spans the entire steelmaking process chain — blast furnace and cast house, hot metal transport, basic oxygen converter (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), steel ladle, tundish, flow control systems, and RH degasser — plus non-ferrous applications covering copper, lead, zinc, and aluminum smelting and refining. VGH complements its Theramer products with an integrated service stack including metallurgical engineering, plant consulting, in-house R&D and laboratory testing, ISO 9001/14001-certified quality management, and global logistics with just-in-time delivery.

The business model is enterprise B2B sales-led, with custom quote-based pricing tied to steel grade, ladle size, and specific operational conditions, delivered under one-year contracts. The GTM motion is direct enterprise field sales targeting large steel producers and metalworking facilities worldwide, supported by a global network of logistics experts and agents. Headcount sits in the 51–100 range; no revenue, funding rounds, or external institutional investors are disclosed, consistent with a founder-controlled Mittelstand company.

The core technology is metallurgical refractory materials engineering, with a wholly owned R&D center conducting physical and chemical testing (grain size, porosity, compression and bending strength, plasticity, density) in cooperation with DIFK (German Institute for Refractories and Ceramics). Production technology spans both shaped brick manufacturing and monolithic/unshaped refractory production (castables, ramming masses, gunning masses, shotcrete castables), with ongoing digitization of production and warehouse processes in Germany. Competitive differentiation rests on three decades of metallurgical engineering experience, full-process coverage, dual-country manufacturing flexibility, and integrated engineering-to-logistics service delivery.

Name

Viktoria Garten Metallurgical Equipment

Legal name

VGH Viktoria Garten Hüttenindustriebedarf GmbH

Website

https://vgh-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VGH Group is a German manufacturer and supplier of refractory products for the global steel and non-ferrous metals industries, producing shaped and unshaped refractories under its Theramer brand at facilities in Germany and China, and delivering integrated engineering, consulting, production, and logistics services to enterprise steelmakers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Refractory Products and Metallurgical Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing (333994)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Solids Handling & Processing Equipment (Conveying, Silo, Feeders) (IMAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Steelmaking (Incl. DRI/HBI-Based) (IMAKABAB), Integrated Steelmaking (BF-BOF) (IMAKABAA)

Keywords

• Refractory products manufacturing
• Metallurgical equipment supply
• Steelmaking refractory solutions
• Industrial engineering consulting
• Monolithic refractories production

Headquarters

HQ city

Hattingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refractory Products: VGH manufactures and supplies high-quality shaped and unshaped refractory products including bricks, castables, ramming masses, gunning mixes, and prefabricated components for steelmaking and metal production processes.
2. Engineering and Consulting Services: The company provides metallurgical engineering services, consulting for blast furnace and steel plants, planning and delivery of integrated technologies, and metallurgical expertise to support customers throughout the production process.
3. Logistics Services: VGH provides end-to-end logistic services including international transport by rail, road and sea, just-in-time deliveries, worldwide warehousing, and inventory management for refractory materials.
4. Production Services: VGH owns and operates the Theramer production facility in Hattingen, Germany, manufacturing customer-specific shaped or unshaped refractory products and providing complete refractory solutions from planning to delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

VGH Group manufactures and globally supplies high-quality shaped and unshaped refractory products under its proprietary Theramer brand for the steel and non-ferrous metal industries. The product portfolio covers the entire steelmaking process from blast furnace through basic oxygen converter (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), steel ladle, RH degasser, tundish, and continuous casting, complemented by integrated engineering, consulting, production, logistics, R&D, and quality management services.

Product overview

VGH Group is a global supplier and manufacturer of high-quality refractory products operating under the proprietary Theramer brand. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products covering the entire steel-making process: from upstream applications (Blast Furnace/Cast House, Hot Metal Transport, BOF) through primary melting (EAF) and secondary refining (Steel Ladle, RH Degasser) to continuous casting (Tundish, Flow Control). Non-ferrous metal industry solutions are also provided for copper, lead, zinc, and aluminum production. The product line includes both shaped bricks and monolithic/unshaped refractories (castables, ramming masses, gunning mixes, dry mixes). Complementing the Theramer product portfolio, VGH offers integrated service modules including Engineering, Consulting, Production, Logistics, R&D, and Quality Management—providing complete refractory solutions from planning through delivery and ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theramer Refractory Products VGH's proprietary brand for shaped and unshaped refractory products manufactured in Germany, covering the entire steel-making process from blast furnace to continuous casting. Includes castables, ramming masses, gunning masses, and shotcrete castables with complete quality control.
• BOF (Basic Oxygen Converter) Refractory Solutions Refractory solutions for basic oxygen converters including burned magnesia bricks, magnesia-carbon bricks, magnesia-based ramming masses, insulation plates, and hot repair masses for maintenance and repair, sold to steel producers operating BOF steelmaking processes.
• Hot Metal Transport Refractory Solutions Refractory solutions for torpedo ladle and hot metal ladle including fireclay bricks for safety lining, wear lining bricks, high-performance castables, and pre-shaped products such as pig iron treatment lances, for steel plants transporting hot metal.
• Steel Ladle Refractory Linings Refractory linings for steel ladles available in brick lining, combined lining, and monolithic lining solutions, including insulation, delta-blocks, well blocks, flow control systems, and alloy agents, for steel plant ladle operations.
• EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) Refractory Solutions Refractory solutions for electric arc furnaces including bricks for safety and wear lining, hearth ramming mixes, taphole products, purging plugs, monolithic roof center pieces, and graphite electrodes (RP, HP, UHP, SHP types), for EAF steelmaking operations.
• Tundish Refractory Solutions Refractory solutions for tundish including castables for safety and cover lining, gunning masses, dry mixes, insulation plates and blankets, pre-shaped products (wellblock, dam, weir, impact pads), flow control systems, and fluxes, for continuous casting tundish applications.
• Blast Furnace and Cast House Refractory Products Refractory products for blast furnace including castables, ramming masses, gunning masses, and shotcrete castables for upper/middle/lower stack, belly, and bosh areas. Cast house products include runner castables, pre-casted shapes, insulation plates, and runner covers, for blast furnace ironmaking operations.
• Flow Control Refractory Products Specialized refractory products for flow rate control including steel ladle slide gates, purging plugs (slot and segment types), ladle shrouds, metering nozzles, exchangeable nozzle systems, three-plate gate systems, mono block stoppers, submerged entry nozzles, and tundish nozzles, for steel flow regulation during casting.
• RH Degasser Refractory Products Refractory products for RH degasser secondary refining systems including magnesia-chrome bricks, fused-magnesia bricks, castables, ramming mixes, gunning mixes, mortars, and prefabricated snorkels, for secondary metallurgy refining operations.
• Non-Ferrous Metal Refractory Solutions Refractory lining concepts for non-ferrous metal industries including TBRC converters, rotary kilns, flash smelting furnaces, anode furnaces, and Teniente converters for copper industry; Anode Backing Furnaces, pot furnaces, and melting/holding furnaces for aluminum industry.
• Engineering Services Metallurgical engineering services to determine optimal refractory materials for specific steel grades, evaluate processes, and identify potential improvements for more economical and safer manufacturing, for steel producers and metalworking operations.
• Consulting Services In-depth consulting for blast furnace and steel plants including planning, delivery of integrated technologies, comprehensive analysis, metallurgical expertise, and complete project planning with installation and start-up services.
• Production Services Manufacturing of shaped and unshaped refractory products under the Theramer brand at VGH-owned facilities in Germany, with focus on quality control and just-in-time delivery for industrial customers.
• Logistics Services Global logistics services including international transport by rail, road, and sea; container and bulk transportation; just-in-time deliveries; worldwide warehousing; and inventory management for refractory materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased campaign duration of blast furnaces through proper refractory selection and maintenance concepts
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DIFK (German Institute for Refractories and Ceramics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVGH conducts chemical analysis of raw materials and manufactured products in regular cooperation with DIFK, a leading European scientific centre for refractories and ceramics. This partnership supports VGH's quality assurance and R&D activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Resco Products: Resco Products manufactures a wide range of refractory products including bricks, monolithics, and prefabricated components for steel, iron, and non-ferrous metal producers globally. Highly comparable mid-sized specialty refractory peer serving overlapping end markets.
• Allied Mineral Products: Allied Mineral Products manufactures monolithic refractories and precast shapes for steel, iron, and non-ferrous metals with global operations. Comparable as a direct competitor in monolithic/unshaped refractories and engineering-driven solutions for steelmaking.
• HarbisonWalker International: HarbisonWalker is a leading North American refractory products and services supplier offering shaped, monolithic, and preformed refractories for steel, aluminum, and other metallurgical applications. Comparable as a direct competitor in the same product categories and customer verticals, with a comparable engineering-and-supply business model.
• INTOCAST AG: INTOCAST is a German-based refractory manufacturer producing shaped refractories (magnesia-carbon, alumina-magnesia, doloma) and monolithics for steel, cement, and lime industries. Comparable as a direct competitor in shaped refractories for metallurgical applications with similar geographic positioning in Europe.
• Puyang Refractories Group: Puyang Refractories Group is one of China's largest refractory manufacturers producing shaped and unshaped products for steel, cement, and non-ferrous metals. Comparable as a major direct competitor, particularly relevant given VGH's Chinese manufacturing presence.

Broad incumbents

• RHI Magnesita: RHI Magnesita is the world's largest vertically integrated refractory supplier, serving the same global steel and non-ferrous metal customers with a broader product portfolio and raw-material integration. Comparable as a direct competitor in shaped/unshaped refractories for steelmaking routes (BOF, EAF, ladle, tundish).
• Morgan Advanced Materials: Morgan Advanced Materials produces engineered ceramics and refractory components serving steel and non-ferrous metal industries. Comparable as a broader specialty materials incumbent with overlapping refractory product lines for metallurgical applications.
• Saint-Gobain (Performance Ceramics & Refractories): Saint-Gobain's Performance Ceramics & Refractories division supplies high-performance refractory products and systems to global steel and industrial customers. Comparable as a large diversified industrial materials incumbent with significant refractory exposure to the same end markets.

Others

• Imerys (Refractory Minerals): Imerys supplies refractory raw materials (calcined alumina, chamotte, specialty clays) and finished refractory products for steel and foundry applications. Comparable as a refractory materials supplier serving overlapping steel industry customers, with a stronger focus on raw material inputs.

Regional players

• Kerui Refractory: Henan Kerui Refractories is a Chinese manufacturer of monolithic and shaped refractories for global steel industry customers. Comparable as a regional/cost-competitive peer producing similar product categories for the same end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GroupVgh
• Facebookfacebook.com/VGH.VGHAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vgh-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Viktoria Garten Metallurgical Equipment