RHI has celebrated its 50th anniversary with a celebration in the presence of 2,000 guests and employees, including tours of the mine and the production site, a presentation of a surface-mine blast and other special festive programme items.
In early July, the RHI plant in Eskişehir (MAS) celebrated its 50-year anniversary. In 1963 RHI’s predecessor “Veitscher Magnesit” purchased a magnesite deposit near Eskişehir in western Anatolia. With its two long rotary kilns and three shaft kilns, the plant is one of the largest raw material sites at RHI. In 2012, a EUR 20 million investment was completed at this location, with capacity increased by almost 30%. RHI is one of the largest and longest-standing Austrian investors in Turkey.
The anniversary was celebrated with 2,000 guests and employees, including tours of the mine and the production site, a presentation of a surface-mine blast and other special festive programme items.
Under the motto “East meets west” the miners’ band from Breitenau provided the Austro-Turkish musical framework together with the Janissary group Mehter Takımı. In addition, several Turkish folklore groups performed Turkish folk dances.
The celebration was also attended by guests of honour including the Austrian ambassador in Ankara, Klaus Wölfer, one of the Deputy Governors of the Eskişehir Province, mayor Tepebaşı Dnt. Ahmet Ataç, Breitenau mayor Siegfried Hofbauer, RHI CEO Franz Struzl and Board member Franz Buxbaum.
With roughly 250 employees, MAS has produced 4.5 million tons of raw refractory materials in the last 50 years, which were delivered to RHI plants in Austria, Germany and Mexico. Moreover, the plant also manufactures refractory products for worldwide applications in the steel industry.