The inauguration

The major festivities took place on Monday 30 October 1961. The inauguration of the industrial zone in the Kasteelwijk Quarter was a milestone in the industrialization of south-west Flanders. The inauguration was performed by the then Prime Minister Theo Lefèvre. In addition to the Prime Minister, the presence was also noted of Achiel Van Acker, Senate President, Spinoy, Minister of Economic Affairs, Declerck, Minister for Small and Medium-sized Businesses, Gillon, Minister of State and many other public figures. At the same time, the first buildings of ‘The New Factory’ were officially inaugurated. This related to the new assembly hall with a length of 180 meters and a width of 42 meters. From that moment onwards, 25 looms would leave the assembly line per day, 95% of which were destined for export to other countries. The pre-assembled sets were screwed together on 18 synchronized assembly posts, which meant that in 27 minutes the loom could be moved up to the next post. They were the first steps towards a future automated assembly line. Under the expert guidance of Guido Manhaeve, the Head of the assembly department, fully tuned machines were delivered to the shipping department where, in those days, they would predominantly be shipped from the loading dock to their destination by rail.