Åkers – Division d’Usinage

This is the machining division from the in 2015 abandoned Åkers factory in Liege. After a long history, the factory was demolished to make place for a housing project.

The company’s name was originally Åkers Styckebruk. It was named after the village where the company built its first production facility. Åkers is still an active and famous brand today. The firm was founded in 1580 as a canoe manufacturer.

At the end of the 1700s, the firm was acquired by the Wahrendorff family from Germany. For a few centuries, cast iron cannons were the major product. In fact Martin von Wahrendorff made the world’s first back-loaded cannon in 1840. Additionally, in 1806 the first steel roll was forged.

This factory in Belgium produced and sold both cast and forged rolls and bars for steel industries in the Liege area. When the steel industry in Liege collapsed, this factory went down with the big industries. Eventually, the company left the buildings in 2015. After that, demolition started in 2018.

I took these photos during my visits in 2016 and 2017. Also see my report of the other Åkers factory in Liege here.