Saint-Gobain SEFPRO (Sintered and Electrofused Products), founded in 1929, produces refractories for the glass industry. The company consists of plants, sales offices and Research and Development Centers employing over 2200 people across four continents, with headquarters in Le Pontet, Vaucluse, France. The group belongs to the Innovative Materials division of the Saint-Gobain group.
History The first electro-fused product was invented and developed in the 1920s by the laboratory of Corning Glass Works, the American glassmaker partnered with Hartford Empire Co. Production began at Corhart Refractories Co., a Corning subsidiary, in 1927. In 1929, a joint venture between Corning and Saint-Gobain, another leading glassmaker, established L'Electro-Réfractaire in Modane, France, with their principal product the Corhart Standard. By 1940, the company was producing 2000 tons of the product per year. In 1942, a new, even more hard-wearing product was introduced: Corhart ZAC. New, pure raw materials were used, such as Zircon, Alumina and Silica (later known as AZS). During the Second World War, the Modane factory was destroyed. In 1947, a new production site was selected in Le Pontet, located in the department of Vaucluse in France, some 350 km from the original location. This would later become the group's headquarters. Workers from the Modane plant relocated to Vaucluse to work in the new factory. The relocation to Le Pontet was influenced by access to key raw materials such as high-purity bauxite from southern France, alumina supplied by Péchiney in Gardanne, and silica sand from the Mont Ventoux region, as well as its proximity to the port of Marseille and the Rhône River for hydro-electric power. In 1952, a Research and Development center was established next to the Le Pontet factory. The company focused on innovation and was granted multiple patents from the 1960s onwards. In 1973, "L'Electro-Réfractaires" merged with the Société Générale de Produits Réfractaires, based in Vénissieux, France, to form the "Société Européenne des Produits Réfractaires" (SEPR). The group finally became Saint-Gobain SEFPRO in 2001.
Acquisitions and Expansion Source:
1971: Acquisition of Refradige Italia, Italy; in 2000 it becomes SEPR Italia 1973 : L'Electro-Réfractaire merges with SGPR (Société Générale des Produits Réfractaires) to become SEPR 1987: Acquisition of Corhart Refractories, with plants in Buckhannon, WV, and Louisville, KY, USA 1991: Acquisition of Joint Venture for the Production of Fused Cast Refractories, China – ZPER. This acquisition marked the Saint-Gobain group's first expansion into the refractory market in China. 1996: Acquisition of Savoie Réfractaires, France, specializing in sintered materials for the glass industry 1996: European research centre CREE is established in Cavaillon 1996: Vinhedo, Brazil, joins SEPR 2000: Acquisition of Valoref, France 2001: New factory built in Changping, Beijing area; ZPER is renamed Beijing SEPR Refractories 2002: CUMI, India, established in 1977, becomes SEPR Refractories India 2003: Toshiba Monofrax Japan becomes Saint-Gobain TM K.K. 2005: The Corhart Refractories factory in Louisville, KY, USA closes 2005: Linyi Saint-Gobain Refractories, China, founded 2009: A new sintered factory is built on the SEPR Refractories India Palakkad site 2015: SEPR India Perundurai plant founded 2022: SEFPRO announced a joint venture with Anhui Sino-Refractory Technology Co., Ltd. to enhance it's high performance fused cast refractory in China. 2025: SEFPRO completed the acquisition of GLASS SERVICE, a.s., a Czech company specializing in advanced glass furnace control systems and simulation software, following regulatory approvals. The move strengthens SEFPRO’s portfolio in digital process optimization and sustainability.
Plants
SEPR Le Pontet, France The SEPR Le Pontet site has served as the SEFPRO headquarters since its founding in 1947, replacing the original plant in Modane that was destroyed in 1944 by bombings during World War II. The site in Le Pontet, located in the department of Vaucluse in France, covers 25 hectares of land. Its principal products are standard and electrical resistive High Zirconia; unshaped products; alpha-beta and beta Alumina; "ER" glass contact AZS range; and cruciform, of which it is the unique producer worldwide. The plant has received the certifications ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The company employs around 700 people and serves markets and customers both local and global.
SEFPRO Hydrogen Furnace Initiative, Le Pontet, France In 2024, SEFPRO began construction of a new-generation electrofusion production line at its Le Pontet site. Scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2024, the line is designed to operate with up to 20% hydrogen and to cut annealing energy consumption by about 65% compared with traditional processes. This investment supports SEFPRO’s decarbonization roadmap for refractory manufacturing.
SEPR Italia, Italy The SEPR Italia site was founded in 1960 and acquired by the Electro-Réfractaire group, known as SEFPRO since 2001, in 1971. The company employs 145 people. The site is located in Mezzocorona in the Trentino province of Italy. Its specialties are glass contact and superstructure; serving a global market including fused-cast expendables and WR The plant is certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
SEPR Beijing, China SEPR Beijing is a subsidiary of the global refractory group Saint-Gobain SEFPRO. Originally named ZPER upon its acquisition in 1991, it was renamed in 2001 when a new plant in Changping, China was opened. The Beijing Changping plant is now a critical part of the SEFPRO worldwide network's electrofused product supply, serving glass manufacturers across Asian, European and North American markets and employing 500 people. It measures 74,000 m2 and specializes in Container, Flat and Specialty Glass markets, with a focus on glass contact, superstructure and furnace end-zone.
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