Van Den Heuvel (VDH) Cementworks was the first to test expanded clay grains in its cement kiln, located in Hemiksem, Belgium. Then it appeared that LECA (Light Expanded Clay Aggregates) acted as a European sounding board for this, so a new plant was built in Kruibeke (B). Today, the well-known Brown Argex grains are still made there in a 76 m long kiln.

Argex (‘Argile Expansée’) was established in 1965 as being part of the ‘aggregate’ department of Inter-Beton, which was especially for this reason founded by CBR and Obourg cementworks. At the end of the 1970s this organisation became independent (SA SICALEX), but later merged with NCGCP (“Nouvelles Carrières de Grés, Calcaires et de Porphyres), giving raise to GRALEX.

Even though Argex grains used to be commercialised by Gralex’s head offices in Brussels, it was decided in the early 1990s to join production and sales departments in Burcht/Kruibeke. Thus, Argex BVBA travelled its own path for ten years, under the wings of two large players of the Belgian cement industry. In 2002 however CBR (HeidelbergCement) and Holcim (Obourg) communicated their wish to ‘dispose’ of Argex in order to focus again on their main activities.

On 1 January 2003 the purchase with own means (‘management buy-out’) was an administrative fact. The official take-over was on 4 July 2003. In the spring of 2005 Argex was taken under the wings of Hye, a building company specialised in water and dock works. Today, Argex NV has an important role on the lightweight grains market, with its own logo and company identity.