Stahl Gerlafingen’s history begins in 1818, when Ludwig von Roll & Cie established an ironworks in Gerlafingen — one of Switzerland’s oldest industrial enterprises.

By 1823, it was renamed Ludwig von Roll’sche Eisenwerke, a title it kept until the early 1960s.

In 1836, Gerlafingen became home to the first Swiss rolling mill, followed ten years later by a second one.

Originally, iron came from local ore deposits in Choindez, but much of their raw material was imported.

During World War I, imports became difficult, so in 1918 an open-hearth furnace was built — though closed just a few years later in 1921, and replaced by the electric arc furnaces.

In 1962, the company became Von Roll AG.

Facing financial troubles in the 1990s, Von Roll sold its steel division to Von Moos Holding, forming Swiss Steel.

Swiss Steel was later acquired by Germany’s Schmolz & Bickenbach in 2003, which in turn sold the Gerlafingen plant to Italy’s AFV Beltrame Group in 2006.

Today, Stahl Gerlafingen operates a 70-ton electric arc furnace, a scrap preheating shaft, a continuous caster, and two rolling mills (for rod and wire).

Its main products are reinforcement and structural steels, made largely from recycled scrap.