Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co

Thomas Regout, officially Thomas Regout (International) B.V. and part of the Regout Group, is a metalworking company based in the Dutch city of Maastricht. It was founded in 1834 as a factory for nails, adding wire nails from 1847, and for its first decades was led mainly by Thomas Dominicus Regout, after whom the firm is named. Until 1999 the company was known as N.V. Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co. After the Second World War it diversified its product range, and by 2013 it employed more than 300 people. The company today operates through two main business lines. Thomas Regout International B.V. designs and manufactures high-quality telescopic and linear guides for diverse applications ranging from ATMs and vehicle interiors to machinery, furniture and professional toolboxes. Thomas Regout B.V. is a fast-growing manufacturer of curtain rails and window decoration materials, exporting worldwide. The group describes itself as guided by innovation and sustainability, investing in people and technology to deliver tailored solutions to its customers. Historically, the firm began in March 1834 when Petrus Laurentius Regout and J.G. Lambriex started the machine manufacture of nails on the premises of P. Regout & Co. at Boschstraat in Maastricht. Petrus's younger brother Thomas joined the management later that year. The factory grew rapidly, employing nearly 200 workers in the mid-1830s, but faced tougher competition after the 1839 Treaty of London lifted import bans. In 1843 Petrus Regout and Lambriex withdrew and Thomas Regout continued the factory alone at a new location on the Drieëmmerstraat. After Thomas's early death in 1862 the firm continued as Wed. Thomas Regout en kinderen. From 1870 a new boom period began under Thomas's nephew and son-in-law Eugène Regout, and in 1888 the name was changed to N.V. Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co. with share capital of 248,000 guilders. In 1903 land was bought in the Bosscherveld and a modern factory opened there in January 1905. With director L.A.H. van Eyseren from 1939, a period of stable growth and diversification followed, adding products such as profiles and drawer slides alongside nails and wire nails. Today the company is a private, family-rooted industrial group headquartered in Maastricht, exporting its telescopic slides, linear guides and window decoration products internationally.

Thomas Regout, officially Thomas Regout (International) B.V. or Regout Group, and until 1999 N.V. Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co., is a metalworking company in the Dutch city of Maastricht. It was founded in 1834 as a factory for nails, and from 1847 also for wire nails. During its first decades the factory was led mainly by Thomas Dominicus Regout, the namesake of the firm. After the Second World War the company diversified its production range. In 2013 it employed more than 300 people. Nail factories had long existed in Maastricht but had disappeared during the French period (1794-1814). In March 1834 Petrus Laurentius Regout and J.G. Lambriex began the machine manufacture of nails. The factory, called Firma P. Regout en J.G. Lambriex, initially had three forge fires and was located on the premises of the firm P. Regout & Co. at Boschstraat no. 1303 within the then still existing city walls of Maastricht. Petrus Regout was initially a trader in glass, crystal and pottery and in that same year 1834 had begun the machine manufacture of glass. The master locksmith J.G. Lambriex was married to a sister of Aldegonda Hoeberechts, Petrus's wife, and thus his brother-in-law. Later that year Petrus's younger brother Thomas joined the management, after which the company's name was changed to Nieuwe Nederlandsche spijkerfabriek van P. en T. Regout en J.G. Lambriex. It is remarkable that this and other factories in Maastricht arose precisely at this time. Around 1834 Maastricht found itself in an isolated and uncertain position, immediately after the turbulent period of the Belgian Revolution (1830) and the (partial) lifting of the Blockade of Maastricht (1830-1833). The conflict with the Belgians in a sense played into the hands of entrepreneurs, because the Dutch government did not wish to be dependent on Walloon manufacturers. Through import bans, Maastricht entrepreneurs therefore suffered less from foreign competition. Moreover, they offered employment to the inhabitants of the fortress city, which had been cut off from a large part of its hinterland, which the government encouraged. The nail factory initially experienced stormy development and in the period 1836-1838 counted nearly 200 employees. These were mainly from the Liège region, which was initially problematic due to the tense political relations between Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, the Liégeois were only allowed into the fortress of Maastricht if they were housed on the factory grounds, where they could be watched. For this purpose a "spacious building" was erected on the Boschstraat, offering space for 200 people. It is striking that the number of workers fell sharply during harvest time, caused by the higher wages that could then (temporarily) be earned at harvest. This phenomenon also occurred in Liège at the beginning of industrial development. In 1837 approximately 200,000 kg of nails were produced, mostly destined for the Northern Netherlands and – via the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij – for the Dutch East Indies. For the manufacture of those nails, roughly the same amount of coal was imported from the Liège region. The iron came from England. After the Treaty of London (1839) the import bans were lifted and the young enterprise had to compete with nail factories in Wallonia, after which business went considerably less prosperously. In 1841 the factory had only 83 people in service: 20 men, 50 boys and 13 children between 9 and 15 years old. The men earned 100 to 125 cents per day, the boys 40 to 60 cents and the children 25 to 40 cents. In 1843 Petrus Regout and J.G. Lambriex withdrew from the business and Thomas Regout continued the factory alone at a new location on the Drieëmmerstraat, a vanished street parallel to the Gubbelstraat. The factory on the Drieëmmerstraat achieved in 1851 only a quarter of the turnover of 1839 and then employed only 43 people. Through the purchase of a steam engine production was mechanized and turnover rose again. Especially the manufacture of wire nails from 1857 proved successful. The early death of Thomas Regout in 1862 meant (again) a slump for the factory, which then continued as Wed. Thomas Regout en kinderen. From 1870 a new boom period began for the Spijkerfabriek Thomas Regout en Compagnie under the leadership of Thomas's nephew and son-in-law Eugène Regout (1831-1908), who had already been a partner in the business since 1849. Another son-in-law, J. Henri Rutten (1833-1900), also played a role in the company from 1870. Within a few years the number of nail and wire nail machines doubled and in 1875 more than a million kilograms of nails were produced for the first time. Around 1880 Eugène's son Paul G.H. Regout (1859-1905) joined the management. In 1888 the name was changed to N.V. Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co. The public limited company began with share capital of 248,000 guilders. Gradually the location in the city center proved too cramped. In 1903 a piece of land was bought in the Bosscherveld, then in the municipality of Oud-Vroenhoven. Here a modern factory arose, which was taken into use in January 1905. After the death of Paul and Eugène Regout, various sons and grandsons of Eugène remained active in the company management, among others: Eugène (II) M.H. Regout (ca. 1890-1922?), Henri M.H. Regout (ca. 1895-1900?) and Fernand H.M. Regout (ca. 1910-1955?). With the appointment of director L.A.H. van Eyseren in 1939 a period of stable growth set in, in which a diversification of the range took place. Besides nails and wire nails, products such as profiles and drawer slides were made. Today the company operates as Thomas Regout International B.V. and Thomas Regout B.V. within the Regout Group. Thomas Regout International B.V. designs and manufactures high-quality telescopic and linear guides for diverse applications ranging from ATMs and vehicle interiors to machinery, furniture and professional toolboxes. Thomas Regout B.V. is a fast-growing manufacturer of curtain rails and window decoration materials, exporting worldwide. The group states that, guided by innovation and sustainability, it invests in people and technology to deliver tailored solutions to its customers, and that it aims to expand into new and existing markets.

• 2013

  Company employs more than 300 people.

• 1999

  Company name changes from N.V. Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co. to Thomas Regout (International) B.V. / Regout Group.

• 1939

  L.A.H. van Eyseren becomes director; period of stable growth and diversification begins.

• 1905

  Modern factory in Bosscherveld taken into use in January.

• 1903

  Land purchased in Bosscherveld for a modern factory.

• 1888

  Name changed to N.V. Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Co. with share capital of 248,000 guilders.

• 1875

  More than one million kilograms of nails produced for the first time.

• 1870

  New boom period under Eugène Regout; number of nail and wire nail machines doubles within a few years.

• 1862

  Thomas Regout dies; company continues as Wed. Thomas Regout en kinderen.

• 1857

  Manufacture of wire nails proves especially successful.

• 1847

  Production of wire nails begins.

• 1843

  Petrus Regout and J.G. Lambriex withdraw; Thomas Regout continues the factory alone at Drieëmmerstraat.

• 1837

  Approximately 200,000 kg of nails produced, mostly for the Northern Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies.

• 1834

  Petrus Laurentius Regout and J.G. Lambriex begin machine manufacture of nails in Maastricht; Thomas Regout joins management later that year.

High-quality, innovative and sustainable metalworking manufacturer of telescopic slides, linear guides and window decoration systems, with a long industrial heritage in Maastricht.

• Telescopic slides

  High-quality telescopic guides for applications including ATMs, vehicle interiors, machinery, furniture and professional toolboxes.

• Linear guides

  High-quality linear guides for diverse industrial and commercial applications.

• Curtain rails and window decoration materials

  Manufactured by Thomas Regout B.V. and exported worldwide.

• Nails and wire nails

  Historical core products from the company's founding in 1834 and 1847 respectively.

• Profiles and drawer slides

  Added during the diversification period after 1939.

1. 1Thomas Regout official websitethomasregout.com
2. 2Wikidata: Maastrichtsche Spijker- en Draadnagelfabriek v/h Thomas Regout & Cowikidata.org
3. 3Wikipedia (NL): Thomas Regout (bedrijf)nl.wikipedia.org