Hilco Industrial has announced the sale of a complete 8” seamless tube manufacturing plant in Montbard, France, a historically significant facility equipped with proven Mannesmann technology and OEM equipment from FIVES DMS Montbard and SMS Mannesmann Meer.
Jan 28, 2026
Hilco Industrial, a global provider of industrial asset solutions, has announced the sale of a complete 8” seamless tube manufacturing plant located in Montbard, France. The facility, formerly operated as Vallourec Bearing Tubes Montbard, has been mothballed in 2025.
The plant represents one of France’s historic centers of Mannesmann seamless tube technology and features core production equipment supplied by FIVES DMS Montbard and SMS Mannesmann Meer, two internationally recognized OEMs in seamless tube and rolling mill engineering.
With an annual production capacity of approximately 80,000 tonnes, the facility has produced hot- and cold-rolled seamless tubes for automotive, bearing steel, oil & gas, and industrial applications.
Proven performance, immediate availability
The Montbard plant is a fully integrated operation that processes round billets into finished tubes across a wide dimensional range. Its hot-rolled tube capability extends up to 203 mm outside diameter with wall thicknesses from 8 to 55 mm, while cold-rolled tubes range from 25 to 102 mm outside diameter with wall thicknesses between 2 and 20 mm. The hot rolling section combines Stiefel-type piercing and Assel-type elongation, followed by calibration and rotary sizing, enabling tight dimensional tolerances, low eccentricity, and flexible production scheduling. Cold finishing is supported by seven cold pilger mills manufactured by Mannesmann Meer and DMS Montbard, enabling precise reduction of outside diameter and wall thickness for demanding bearing and mechanical tube applications.
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Strategic Opportunity for Global Tube Producers
“This offering represents far more than individual machines—it is a complete, historically proven seamless tube manufacturing ecosystem,” said Margot ter Bogt. “For producers looking to expand capacity, enter high-precision bearing or automotive tube markets, or relocate a fully engineered plant, opportunities of this scale and pedigree are extremely rare.”
The Montbard plant is ideally suited for seamless tube producers seeking capacity expansion, investors targeting brownfield industrial projects, and OEMs or Tier-1 suppliers that require tight tolerances and strong metallurgical control. It is particularly well aligned with markets focused on bearing tubes, mechanical tubing, and API applications.
