Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group

Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group is a Netherlands-based industrial group that develops and manufactures synthetic fibre ropes, industrial yarns and engineered plastic products. Its origins lie in a small rope and netting factory established in Sneek in the early nineteenth century, and the company describes its roots as reaching back over 200 years. The group operates through three worldwide divisions — Rope, Engineered Products and Yarn — and positions itself as a world leader in the processing and performance of synthetic materials. The Rope Division is presented as a master of innovation in ropes, serving demanding applications in maritime, offshore and industrial markets. The Engineered Products Division, trading as Lankhorst Engineered Products, specialises in thick-walled injection-moulded plastics and sheets made from virgin and recycled materials, used in civil and construction engineering, infrastructure and railway, offshore oil and gas, the poultry industry, and heavy-industry transport and storage. The Yarn Division supplies technical yarns. Headquartered at Prinsengracht 2 in Sneek, the group employs people in the Netherlands and worldwide. It emphasises innovation, product performance, marketing and organisational excellence, alongside social, ethical and environmental commitments such as the use of green energy and year-on-year carbon-footprint reduction. In 2012 the group was acquired by WireCo WorldGroup Inc., a global wire-rope and electromechanical cable producer headquartered in Kansas City, USA, and it now operates as part of that group.

The history of Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group begins in Sneek, a town in the Dutch province of Friesland. In 1777 Feyke Ykes Visser from Heeg bought a ropewalk (lijnbaan) on the present-day Rienck Bockemakade from Sijbren Zeilstra. Visser died in 1801. In 1803 his widow remarried Nicolaas Jurjan Lankhorst, who took over the rope-making business and expanded it at the Prinsengracht. This year, 1803, is regarded as the beginning of Lankhorst Touwfabrieken. Nicolaas Jurjan Lankhorst led the ropewalk until about 1830. Under his management the business grew steadily, especially after the two daughters of Feike Visser, Hinke and Tijtje, were bought out in 1822. Employment rose from three workers on the ropewalk in 1820 to fourteen in 1830, and the firm also began producing binding twine. Lankhorst was additionally involved in tanning fishing nets, for which he bought two workshops in Sneek and a piece of pasture land. Around 1830, management passed to Auke Lankhorst, who had until then worked as an ordinary labourer on his father's ropewalk. In 1829 Auke married Agnita Beckeringh, daughter of a Groningen minister, who brought a capital of nearly 7,000 guilders, partly in real estate. Auke led the company until 1858. During that period the scale and production increased through the acquisition of several ropewalks elsewhere in the town. By 1855 Lankhorst owned four ropewalks in Sneek: the mother ropewalk at the Kleine Paalster Diep and three others at Stadswal, Prinsengracht and Hooiblok. Auke and Agnita had four sons; the youngest, Willem, was designated to take over the family business, and the transfer took place in 1858. When Auke died on 26 November 1883 he left a fortune of nearly seven hundred thousand guilders as well as ownership of numerous farms with adjoining land around Sneek. Willem Beckeringh van Lankhorst (Sneek 1833–1913) took over the ropewalk. He married Antonia Berends ten Cate in Enschede in 1858; they had three children: Auke (1859), Aaltje (1860) and Agnietta (1868). Auke Beckeringh van Lankhorst then took over the ropewalk. He married Henderika Cornelia Hermanna Janssen; they had two sons and two daughters. One daughter was Margaretha Catarina Talina Alida Beckeringh van Lankhorst (1906–1983), who married Ruurt Alles van der Sluis (born in Leeuwarden in 1902) in 1927. He succeeded his father-in-law as director of the rope factory. When synthetic fibres became popular, Lankhorst switched to this raw material in 1964. Waste generated in the production of polypropylene rope was reused to make thick-walled products such as bollards and other street furniture. Lankhorst Recycling was founded in 1986 and produces thick-walled plastic products from recycled agricultural and horticultural film, a unique production method seen at the time as progressive and even revolutionary. This method led in 1992 to the establishment of the joint venture 'Lash vof' between Lankhorst and Shell, created specifically for the production of plastic pallets, particularly for heavy loads. Shell's shares in this joint venture were soon sold. In 2012 the Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group was acquired by WireCo WorldGroup Inc., a global leader in the production of wire rope and electromechanical cable and a major producer of wire products, headquartered in Kansas City, USA. Today the group comprises three divisions — Rope, Engineered Products and Yarn — that operate worldwide with their own products and services.

• 2012

  Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group is acquired by WireCo WorldGroup Inc.

• 1992

  Joint venture 'Lash vof' is established between Lankhorst and Shell for plastic pallets.

• 1986

  Lankhorst Recycling is founded, producing thick-walled plastic products from recycled agricultural and horticultural film.

• 1964

  Lankhorst switches to synthetic fibres; waste from polypropylene rope production is reused for thick-walled products.

• 1858

  Willem Beckeringh van Lankhorst takes over the family business.

• 1855

  Lankhorst owns four ropewalks in Sneek.

• 1830

  Auke Lankhorst takes over management; employment has risen to fourteen workers.

• 1822

  The two daughters of Feike Visser, Hinke and Tijtje, are bought out, allowing steady expansion.

• 1803

  Nicolaas Jurjan Lankhorst takes over the rope-making business; this year is regarded as the beginning of Lankhorst Touwfabrieken.

• 1777

  Feyke Ykes Visser buys a ropewalk on the present-day Rienck Bockemakade in Sneek from Sijbren Zeilstra.

World leader in the processing and performance of synthetic materials, driven by innovation and targeted marketing.

• Synthetic fibre ropes

  Ropes for maritime, offshore and industrial applications, marketed as a master of innovation in ropes.

• Industrial yarns

  Technical yarns supplied by the Yarn Division.

• Engineered plastic products

  Thick-walled injection-moulded products and sheets from virgin and recycled materials, used in civil engineering, infrastructure, offshore and heavy industry.

1. 1Homelankhorsteuronete.com
2. 2About uslankhorsteuronete.com
3. 3Lankhorst Engineered Productslankhorsteuronete.com
4. 4Royal Lankhorst Euronete Groupnl.wikipedia.org
5. 5Royal Lankhorst Euronete Groupwikidata.org