COMPANY HISTORY

Van de Bilt seeds and flax bv was founded in 1897 by Albert van de Bilt. Initially, the company was located near the Ghent-Terneuzen canal. Albert van de Bilt traded in seed, and processed flax during the winter months. He purchased the seed during his travels to the Baltic States. The founder’s son, Charles van de Bilt, joined the company at a young age and went on to expand the company. The scope of activities increased and production took place in Zeelandic Flanders – a region of the Netherlands – and on the islands in the province of Zeeland.

The continuity of the company was guaranteed in the 1960s when Charles’s two sons Camiel and Marc also joined the enterprise. The synergy resulting from the combination of various areas of expertise and interests gave greater definition to the image projected by the company to producers and customers. This sharper focus drove rapid expansion of the company in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the former Eastern Bloc states. The brothers quickly strengthened the team with a group of enthusiastic, trusted employees who shared the same ambitions to progress and grow.

The fourth generation of the family has now joined the business: Eugenie van de Bilt and Bart Depourcq are members of the board of directors. Van de Bilt zaden en vlas bv is characterized by an intense focus on the international markets with in excess of 90% of its turnover generated outside the Netherlands. The French subsidiary, Textilin, was founded to support the company’s activities in France. A considerable proportion of the fibers produced by van de Bilt originates in France. The majority of these fibers are destined for export to Asia. The Netherlands remains an important location for seed production. The company has state-of-the-art processing facilities, which are certified for SKAL, GMP+, FSSC and gluten-free production. As well as flax, blue poppy seeds, quinoa, caraway seeds and other fine oil-yielding seeds are also processed.