No future for the flax industry

Besides continuing the activities of the Doom-Mahieu company, Vansteenkiste also developed new scutching turbines in Ieper. The purpose of growing fibre flax is the production of textile (linen); cleaning the fibres, or ‘scutching’, is one of the very first processes of transforming flax into textile. Unfortunately, the flax industry was going through a period of global crisis. Vansteenkiste Foundry and Workshops had seen better days and the flax industry no longer held a future. The company's competitors imitated the scutching machine and a fierce battle over patents ensued. On top of it all, Russian flax was offered on the Belgian market at dumping prices and synthetic fibres were becoming increasingly popular. Struggling to survive, Vansteenkiste developed various new machines. The ‘pounding and vapour’ machine for concrete street construction proved to be a success, although it was quickly copied by the competition. Vansteenkiste was facing a losing battle and management struggled with the constant dangers that posed a threat to the company’s continuity.