Fireplace Brick Manufacturer, Alsey Refractories Co.
1906-1949 1950-1999 2000-present

Alsey Refractories :: Company History

The 1950's witnessed more change: the company owned shaft mine was closed and sealed over in 1956. The company began to strip mine in the surrounding Illinois area and lease clay reserves in central Missouri in order to obtain a superior quality of clay. A natural gas pipeline was run through the town of Alsey in 1951 enabling the beehive kilns to be converted from coal to natural gas. In 1959, Alsey Brick and Tile was sold by William McLaughlin to Harold Oswald of St. Louis, Missouri. The company name was changed to Alsey Refractories Company with Oswald Refractories Company in St. Louis as the sole sales agent.

On December 11, 1963 a fire completely destroyed the factory building and a new plant was constructed the same year. Production resumed on March 1, 1964. In May 1966, a natural gas fired tunnel kiln was put into operation. Due to the fuel crisis in 1973, dual fuel burners were installed allowing diesel fuel to be used as an alternative fuel source. The installation of a tunnel kiln brought an end to the use of the periodic beehive kilns to burn stiff mud brick.

 


In 1971, due to the death of Harold Oswald, the company was sold to Louis S. Goltermann Sr. and Louis S. Goltermann, Jr. In 1976, the name of the sales office in St. Louis was changed from Oswald Refractories Company to St. Louis Refractories Company. In 1985, the sales office of St. Louis Refractories Company merged with the manufacturing facility at Alsey, Illinois and both the sales and the manufacturing facilities became known as Alsey Refractories Company. In 1982, Louis S. Goltermann, Sr. passed away at the age of 71. In 1986, Louis S. Goltermann, Jr. became the sole owner when the remaining shares were purchased. In October 1995, Louis S. Goltermann III joined the company, bringing the current ownership into the third generation.

Alsey Refractories Company ·  1600 South Brentwood Boulevard  ·  Suite 210   ·  St. Louis, MO  63144
(v) 314.963.7900   ·  (f) 314.963.7973   ·  info@alsey.com
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Alsey Refractories Company is a founding member of TRI.