Christy Companies celebrate 100 years of service!
The Christy family of companies has a proud 100-year history of providing quality products and services to industry. Throughout the years, our business has been based on integrity and a desire to enrich the lives of the people with whom we do business, whom we employ and who live in the communities around us.
Our story began when the fire brick industry arose as a result of rich clay deposits under much of south St. Louis. The high-quality clay in some of these deposits could be formed into fire brick, a special high-temperature brick that lines the furnaces where steel, glass and other materials are made.
For all images above, copyright 1905, by Keystone View Company.
The Christy Companies that exist today had their origins in the production and distribution of fire brick to industrial customers. Today, the Christy Companies sell products and services in more than 50 countries, operating in four lines of business – catalytics, minerals, refractories and industrial services. Looking to the future, we see significant opportunities for growth around the globe, making today an exciting time to be at Christy.
Guiding Christy over the years have been its mission and values focusing on attracting and retaining good employees, creating a great work experience, and devoting a portion of our resources to serving the community. Today, our culture, The Christy Way, guides us.
Through The Christy Way we expect our business to continue its history of strong performance.
“I would say first of all it is our complete commitment to integrity in every aspect of what we do. Secondly, is our commitment to and concern for our employees, who are in fact the strength of the company. And lastly, our diverse nature which permits us to ride out the inevitable ups and downs of economic life in a fast-changing world. This diversity leads us to continually search for new products, new ways of doing things and new opportunities. It is an exciting path we follow, a challenge to each one of us to move forward together as a warm and highly capable family group, in a word, as Christy has historically done.”
— Nicholas V.V. Franchot, III —
In the middle 1800s, a dramatic discovery was made beneath the earth in South St. Louis. It wasn’t silver or gold, but its enormous value would change the face and fortunes of the entire region, giving rise to an industry with multiple companies that would grow to become highly successful enterprises serving markets throughout the world.
The “treasure” they found was a high-quality clay that could be used for an array of vitally important purposes like paving streets and building homes and other structures across the city.
Rebricking the rotary kiln.
The choicest of those rich clay deposits could be used to produce a special type of brick that is resistant to temperatures in excess of 2700 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for use in high-heat furnaces for producing steel, glass and other materials. The abundant supply of this material was ideal for the birth of the Christy companies.
One of the enterprises that capitalized on this mineral bonanza was the Christy Fire Clay Company. That business eventually spawned the formation of the Christy Firebrick Company in 1922, which was the beginning of the business that became today’s Christy Companies.
Cover from Christy's 1929 brochure.
Over the past century, we have expanded our product line and moved into additional markets throughout the world. The Christy Companies now sell products and services in more than 50 countries, operating in four lines of business – catalytics, minerals, refractories and industrial services. Looking to the future, we see significant opportunities for growth around the globe, making today an exciting time to be at Christy.
Christy's St. Louis Headquarters