Refractory Engineers

What Refractory Engineers does

Refractory Engineers, Inc. is a privately held industrial distributor and refractory materials supplier founded in 1962 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company distributes high-temperature consumable products and refractory materials — including ceramic fiber insulation, hard brick and insulating firebrick, castables and plastic rams, heating elements (silicon carbide, molybdenum, ceramic), board insulation, textiles, refractory anchors, thermocouples, advanced ceramics, and a ceramic foundry sand branded as SuperSand — to industrial customers across the Midwest United States (Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan). Its sister company, Ceramic Technology, Inc., provides on-site refractory construction and installation services including ceramic fiber installation, monolithic refractory installation, refractory brick construction, turnkey services, in-house refractory labor, and custom precast shapes.

The company operates a sales-led, quote-based go-to-market targeting industrial verticals such as aluminum casting and extrusion, steel manufacturing, glass plants, chemical processing, ethanol production, industrial boilers, heat treat and vacuum heat treat facilities, OEMs, power generation, iron and non-ferrous metals, and incineration/c crematory applications. A 24/7 emergency repair service is a core offering, supporting furnace, boiler, thermal oxidizer, and crematory/incinerator maintenance and shutdown response. Technical capabilities include specialized installation equipment such as an MX-10 mixer/pump/shotcrete rig capable of 10 tons/hour delivery and 300+ ft vertical pumping.

The business model combines product distribution (one-time sales of consumable refractory materials) with professional installation and construction services delivered through the affiliated Ceramic Technology entity. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. No revenue figures, funding rounds, patents, or external investment are disclosed; the company appears to be independently and privately owned. Customer concentration, headcount trend, and growth trajectory cannot be quantified from available data, though the 64-year operating history and diversified vertical exposure suggest a stable, mature regional operator.

Name

Refractory Engineers

Legal name

Refractory Engineers, Inc.

Website

https://refractoryeng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Refractory Engineers is a 1962-founded Indianapolis-based distributor of high-temperature refractory materials and insulation products, serving Midwest industrial customers across aluminum, steel, glass, chemical, ethanol, boiler, and heat-treat sectors via direct sales, with construction services delivered through sister company Ceramic Technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Refractory Materials

NAICS

Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing (3271)

SIC

Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290)

akta.pro primary industry

Refractory Bricks & Firebricks (IMADABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refractory, Furnace & Kiln Maintenance Services (IMAIACAG)

Keywords

• Refractory materials distribution
• Industrial insulation products
• Ceramic fiber insulation
• Refractory installation services
• High temperature ceramics

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refractory Products Distribution: Sale of high-temperature refractory materials including hard brick, insulating firebrick, ceramic fiber, castables, insulation boards, heating elements, textiles, and specialty ceramic products to industrial customers.
2. Construction and Installation Services: Refractory construction services including ceramic fiber installation, monolithic refractory installation, refractory brick construction, turnkey services, and custom precast shapes through sister company Ceramic Technology.
3. Emergency Repair Services: 24/7 maintenance and emergency shutdown repair services for industrial furnaces, boilers, and thermal oxidizers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Refractory Engineers distributes high-temperature refractory materials and consumable products—including ceramic fiber insulation, hard brick, insulating firebrick, castables, burner blocks, heating elements, textiles, RTO media, and ceramic foundry sand (SuperSand)—to industrial customers throughout the US Midwest. Through its sister company, Ceramic Technology, Inc., the business also delivers on-site refractory construction, installation, custom precast shapes, and 24/7 emergency repair services for furnaces, boilers, and thermal processing equipment.

Product overview

Refractory Engineers is a leading distributor of high-temperature consumable products and refractory materials throughout the Midwest, in business since 1962. Their product portfolio centers on ceramic fiber insulation products (blanket, board, paper, modules), refractory bricks (hard brick, insulating firebrick), castables and plastic rams, heating elements (silicon carbide, molybdenum, ceramic), and specialized products like burner blocks, RTO media, and ceramic foundry sand (SuperSand). Sister company Ceramic Technology provides complementary construction and installation services including ceramic fiber installation, monolithic refractory installation, refractory brick construction, turnkey services, and custom precast shapes. The company serves diverse industries including aluminum, steel, glass, chemical processing, ethanol, heat treat, power, and incineration, offering both materials supply and professional installation capabilities for comprehensive refractory solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SuperSand: Ceramic foundry sand - a spherically shaped bauxite sand for foundry applications, also known as Bauxite Foundry Sand, Green Beads, MinSand, Green Sand, Ceramic Beads, and Spherical Beads.

Products and services

• Board Insulation High-temperature insulation boards including Marinite Board, Transite Board, KFac-19 Board, Calcium Silicate Board, Vermiculite Board, Vacuum Formed Board, Ceramic Fiber Board, and Graphite Board for furnace linings, ladle back-up insulation, tundishes, and boiler applications.
• Ceramic Fiber Ceramic fiber insulation products including Blanket (Durablanket, Cerwool, Kaowool), Board, Paper, Rope, and Modules for high-temperature insulation in furnaces, ovens, kilns, and boilers.
• Hard Brick / Refractory Brick Dense, durable refractory bricks in grades including Low Duty, Medium Duty, High Duty, Super Duty, High-Fired Super Duty, High Alumina, Magnesia Carbon, Magnesia Chrome, Basic Bricks, and Bubble Alumina for AOD vessels, steel ladles, gasifiers, kilns, and chimneys.
• Insulating Firebrick Lightweight insulating firebrick for primary hot face linings or backup insulation in furnaces, flues, and kilns, available in grades from 2000°F to 3200°F including lightweight 23s (2300°F) and 26s (2600°F).
• Castables & Plastic Rams Refractory castables and plastic rams including Shotcrete, Gunnite, Plastic Ram, Insulating Castable, Refractory Mortar, GS Pumpable, and Foamfrax for ladle relines, furnace repairs, boiler linings, and emergency patching.
• Burner Blocks Ceramic fiber burner blocks rated for temperatures up to 3000°F, providing lightweight alternatives (approximately 35 lbs vs 300 lbs for castable blocks) to castable burner blocks with improved safety, reduced installation time, and extended service life in industrial furnaces.
• Heating Elements Industrial heating elements including Globars (Silicon Carbide), Ceramic Heating Elements, Graphite Heating Elements, Molybdenum (Moly) Heating Elements, and Nichrome (Nickel Chrome) for high-temperature furnace applications.
• RTO Media - Ceramic Media Block Ceramic media blocks for Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers (RTOs) used in ethanol plants and industrial air pollution control systems.
• Ceramic Foundry Sand (SuperSand) Bauxite Foundry Sand (SuperSand) - spherically shaped ceramic foundry sand manufactured by melting bauxite in an Electric Arc Furnace, serving as a substitute for chromite, zircon, and silica sand in foundry applications.
• Textiles / High-Temperature Gasket Materials High-temperature textile fabrics including Silica Cloth, Rope Insulation, Tadpole Tape, Sleeving, and Fiberglass Fabrics for industrial gasket and sealing applications.
• Stopper Rods & Nozzles Refractory stopper rods and nozzles for steelmaking and foundry applications.
• Carbon/Graphite Products Carbon and graphite based refractory products for high-temperature industrial applications.
• Advanced Ceramics Custom ceramic parts including Alumina, Zirconia, Silicon Carbide, Cordierite, and Mullite for high-temperature applications in energy, smelting, metallurgy, electrical, and chemical engineering industries.
• Molybdenum Products Molybdenum refractory metal products with high melting temperature (2620°C), load bearing capabilities up to 1600°C, and excellent thermal and electrical conductivity for vacuum furnace applications.
• Refractory Anchors Refractory anchors for securing and supporting refractory linings in industrial furnaces and boilers.
• Thermocouples High-temperature thermocouples for industrial furnace temperature measurement and monitoring.
• Ceramic Fiber Installation Professional installation services for ceramic fiber insulation products performed by sister company Ceramic Technology, Inc. (CTI).
• Monolithic Refractory Installation Installation of monolithic refractories including castables, shotcrete, and gunnite applications.
• Refractory Brick Construction Refractory brick construction services for industrial furnaces, kilns, and chimneys.
• Turnkey Services Comprehensive turnkey refractory solutions from initial assessment through installation and dry-out services.
• Custom Precast Shapes Custom precast refractory shapes for furnaces, ovens, kilns, and boilers.
• Boiler Repair Insulation and Refractory 24/7 refractory and insulation repair services for all types of industrial boilers in Indiana and the Midwest, from small patch jobs to turnkey relines.
• Crematory and Incinerator Repair & Maintenance Refractory and insulation repairs for cremation units and incinerators, from small patches to complete refractory relines.
• Thermal Oxidizer Repair & Maintenance Repair and maintenance services for various thermal oxidizer types including Direct Fired, Regenerative (RTO), Thermal Recuperative, and Catalytic Thermal Oxidizers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fiber Burner Blocks provide approximately 1/6 the weight of castable blocks (35 lbs vs 300 lbs), improving safety and reducing installation time
• +1 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ceramic Technology, Inc.coreOthersCeramic Technology, Inc. is the sister company of Refractory Engineers and provides quality refractory construction and services. While not an external partnership, this affiliated entity is a core part of the company's service offering, providing turnkey refractory construction, ceramic fiber installation, monolithic refractory installation, and refractory brick construction services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Plibrico Company: Refractory products manufacturer and installer offering monolithic refractories, plastics, and installation services for industrial furnaces across the Midwest and nationally. Comparable end-to-end business model combining product supply with field construction, similar to Refractory Engineers' products-plus-Ceramic Technology structure.
• Resco Products: Manufacturer and distributor of refractory products including bricks, monolithics, and ceramic fiber, serving steel, aluminum, and industrial furnace operators in North America. Closely comparable to Refractory Engineers across product portfolio and customer verticals, with overlapping Midwest service territory.
• Nutec Bickley: Designer and manufacturer of industrial heat-treatment furnaces, ceramic kilns, and refractory solutions serving steel, aluminum, and ceramics end markets. Comparable customer base and refractory-solution positioning, though more equipment-centric than Refractory Engineers' distribution-led model.
• Christy Refractories: Manufacturer and installer of refractory products and construction services for industrial furnaces, with a Midwest operational footprint. Directly comparable full-service product-plus-installation model serving similar heavy-industry customers.
• Allied Mineral Products: Privately held manufacturer of monolithic refractories and precast shapes serving ferrous, non-ferrous, and industrial markets with installation services. Directly comparable in product mix (castables, plastics, precast) and turnkey installation approach to Refractory Engineers.
• Magneco/Metrel: Niche refractory products manufacturer specializing in monolithic refractories, gunning mixes, and specialty castables for steel, aluminum, and glass industries. Comparable specialty product offering and smaller-scale distribution profile similar to Refractory Engineers.

Regional players

• Pyrotek Inc: Global supplier of high-temperature materials and engineered solutions serving primarily aluminum, foundry, and steel industries. Comparable in vertical focus and ceramic fiber/textile product lines, but operates at broader geographic scale than Refractory Engineers' regional Midwest footprint.

Broad incumbents

• HarbisonWalker International: Largest North American manufacturer and distributor of refractory products and services, serving steel, aluminum, glass, cement, and other high-temperature industries. Directly comparable to Refractory Engineers in product breadth, installation services, and target end markets, but at significantly greater national scale.
• Saint-Gobain PPL (Pyrotek): Global supplier of high-temperature refractory and insulation products including ceramic fiber, boards, and engineered solutions for aluminum, steel, glass, and foundry. Comparable product portfolio (ceramic fiber, boards, textiles) and overlapping aluminum/steel vertical focus with Refractory Engineers.

Emerging players

• CE Refractories: Independent distributor and installer of refractory products serving industrial customers in the Midwest with materials supply and field services. Comparable regional distribution-plus-service model targeting the same furnace-heavy customer base as Refractory Engineers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100057351764715
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refractory-engineers-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Refractory Engineers