The Belgian glass industry reached new heights in the 19th century. At that time, Belgium was the world's largest glass exporter. This glass factory was founded in 1868 as the SA des Glaces et Verreries du Hainaut during the industry's heyday. The company quickly flourished, thanks in part to the technological advances of engineers like Martin André Opperman, who helped it stay at the forefront of technology. In 1875, the young German engineer installed a basin furnace, of which he was one of the inventors.

In 1920, several glass factories in the region joined together to form the 'Union Commerciale des Glaceries Belges', which would later become 'Les Glaces de Charleroi'. About ten years later, in 1930, the 'Union des Verreries Mécaniques de Belgique - UNIVERBEL' was born. Other mergers followed, and it was in 1961 that the major Belgian glass manufacturers joined forces under the name 'Glace et Verre de Belgique - GLAVERBEL'. In 1981, the Japanese glass industry giant Asahi Glass Group (AGC) acquired the GLAVERBEL group. At this site, the company's operations focused on the production of glass for solar panels. However, the company faced increasing competition from China. Ultimately, AGC was defeated, and in 2014 the factory closed its doors permanently.