| Wienerberger AG | |
| Founded: | 1819 |
| Location: | Vienna, Austria |
| Key People: | |
| Industry: | Building materials |
| Products: | bricks, tiles, concrete pavers and pipe systems |
| Revenue: | €4,224 million (2023) |
| Operating Income: | €477.3 million (2023) |
| Net Income: | €334.4 million (2023) |
| Assets: | €5,468.6 million (2023) |
| Equity: | €2,657.7 million (2023) |
| Num Employees: | >20.000 (2024)[2] |
Wienerberger AG is an Austrian brick maker which is Europe's leading manufacturer of roof tiles and the world’s largest producer of bricks.[3]
In addition to clay products, the company is one of the leading suppliers of plastic pipe in Europe. With its over 200 production sites, the Wienerberger Group generated revenues of €4,224 million and EBITDA of €783,3 million in 2023. It is based in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1819, the company's shares have been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1869 and currently have a free float of 100%.
In 1819 Wienerberger was founded in Vienna by Alois Miesbach and got its start making use of clay deposits in the Wienerberg area of Vienna. The company embraced innovations such as circular kiln designs, allowing it to have near-continuous production and achieve early success. Miesbach continued to increase manufacturing capacity as the business grew, and by the time of his death in 1857 the company had nine factories, a clay plant, and multiple coal mines. Miesbach's nephew, Heinrich Drasche, took over the company and maintained its dominant position. Starting in 1869 the company traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange.
For the next hundred years Wienerberger was the market leader in Austria. They branched into other related industries, such as ornamental sculptures, roof tiles, and architectural terracotta. After World War One and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Wienerberger lost many of its foreign operations and rebuilt around its core Austrian businesses.
The company began using mechanical presses for brick production around the 1920s, allowing them to produce perforated bricks. Advanced tunnel kilns were adopted starting in the 1950s, leading to increased manufacturing efficiency. They purchased Bramac, a concrete roof tile manufacturer, in 1972.
Starting with its purchase of Germany's Oltmanns-Gruppe company in 1986, Wienerberger expanded into other regions of Europe and entered the plastic pipe business. In 1999 the company acquired General Shale in the United States and became the world's leading manufacturer of bricks.
The company continued to undertake numerous international acquisitions, including Baggeridge PLC in 2007, Semmelrock in 2010, and Tondach Gleinstätten and Keymer Tiles in 2014.[4] In 2021 the company's American branch, General Shale, acquired Meridian Brick of Georgia, doubling revenues in the United States.[5]
Wienerberger finalized its purchase of French tile manufacturer Terreal in 2024, dramatically expanding its presence throughout Europe and giving it ownership of Creaton and Ludowici Roof Tile.[6] Around the same time General Shale completed its purchase of Summitville Tile, an Ohio floor tile and facing brick manufacturer.[7]