The years of war: looms in exchange for fish and oranges

The Omnium weaving machine has a weaving width of 188 cm and is able to achieve a speed of 140 picks per minute. Average annual production numbers of the automatic loom hit 120 in the first years of manufacture and grew to one per day just before WWII, a clear sign that the machine was well received by the textile industry. But WWII spoiled the fun. The manufacturing industry saw a heavy downfall. As the oppressor demanded most of the available resources for the production of war equipment, raw materials became a scarcity. The number of manufactured machines decreased dramatically. Machines were also shipped to neutral countries, such as Spain, Portugal and Sweden, and transported to other continents from there. For marketing and selling purposes, compensation in foodstuffs became the basis for weaving loom exports. Armed with an Omnium brochure and prints of plans, salesmen undertook pilgrimages to weaving companies that had never before heard of a Picañol loom. In Denmark, the machines were sold in exchange for fish products; companies in Spain and Portugal paid with sardines and oranges, and Hungary purchased looms in return for tomato concentrates and onions. Despite the bombings of train convoys the machines arrived at their destination and the food products found their way to our country. After the war, these looms were to become our first foreign references and would contribute to the establishment of the Picañol name outside the Belgian borders.