Welcome

An introduction of our company

More than one hundred years ago, van de Bilt seeds and flax has been established by the van de Bilt family. During the decades, the family company is constantly developing itself until its present position. Nowadays, the company is known for its first quality products and good services to their customers.

 In the early beginning, the activities of the company were mainly concentrated on the cultivation and transformation of fibre flax. Soon after, the company started to import seeds from the Baltic States to multiply on the fertile clay grounds in the south west of the Netherlands. The linseeds were often sold in the region and became famous because of its excellent quality. The next decennia the seeds are successfully commercialised all over the world.

Breeding and selection
In the ’80, the experimental work of the breeding and selection department has taken a high flight. The research has developed into a considerable and independent department, one of the most important ones in its working field, represented with trail fields in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and in the Russian Federation. In order to participate in the most recent developments, the company has decided to join the breeding programme of Landbouwbureau Wiersum in Groningen, the Netherlands. Hence, the largest fibre flax breeding programme of Western Europe has been created. The development was urgently desired as the breeding work for flax has not kept the same step with the selection work of other agricultural crops. Together with an intensive co-operation with the agriculture universities, these steps are the guaranties for the desired progression

Linseed production and linseed trading.
Not only the selection of new varieties are per tradition in favour of the Dutch poldergrounds, also the linseed production takes place under most auspicious conditions. Van de Bilt seeds and flax has developed its own harvesting machinery in order to separate the seed during pulling from the fibre. In this way the seeds are protected from contamination of soil fungi. This separation of deseeding from the fibre guarantees a consistent quantity and high quality of the seeds. The use of top quality seed provides the basis for a successful flax production.

 Past years the transformation of the flax straw has been totally renewed. The rippling and combining of the linseed takes place in the field by self-propelled harvesting machinery, which pulls the flax out of the ground. After the pulling / deseeding the flax lays down in a swath to be retted. The retting process, which is absolutely necessary for a baste-fibre to turn into fine textile fibre, takes place in the field. The process is natural and environmental friendly. A good retting process takes 2-3 weeks, dependant of the rainfall

Scutching and hackling activities
Van de Bilt seeds and flax works with the most advanced technology in the refining of the flax fibre. After the scutching process the flax fibres will be cleaned mechanically of the fine wooden parts left, but also refined in so called hackling machines. The final products, hackled flax but also the half products, flax in handfuls and the short fibres of the hackling and scutching machinery, are commercialised all over the world by van de Bilt seeds and flax. The company has a substantial share of the market worldwide.

Scutched long fibre and re-scutched short fibres
Van de Bilt seeds and flax is an important player in the fibre supply to the mondial spinning industry. From tradition our company supplies the European and Russian spinning industry and until today Van de Bilt seeds and flax is doing business with the famous spinning mills in those areas. As China is booming today Van de Bilt seeds and flax is working in this area too as a serious part of the consumption of the flax fibres today take place in China. Since 1991 Van de Bilt seeds and flax is doing business with China and today we run together with our Chinese partner 2 offices to be of service to our Chinese clients.

Hackling slivers and hackling tow
As one of the few companies in Europe still running the hackling mill we are focussing today only at special items for those clients with special demands. One of the special products today from our company is the high quality slivers and the organic slivers in which Van de Bilt seeds and flax is playing an important position in the global market.

Van de Bilt seeds and flax has been working more than 100 years on the future of flax. Due to the textile, car and paper industry flax has become a mondial- and interesting product.