Who says Belgium, says textiles. For centuries, fabrics rolled off the looms and found their way far beyond the country’s borders. Some companies are still living witnesses of that rich tradition. They survived wars, crises, and technological revolutions, reinventing themselves time and again.
Take B&B Textilia, founded in 1854 and Libeco in Meulebeke, weaving linen since 1858. Or Vandewiele, that started in 1880, not long before De Witte Lietaer, which started in 1898 as a small jacquard weaving mill and now supplies luxurious household linen to hotels and families worldwide. In Waregem, BekaertDeslee built an empire in mattress fabrics starting in 1892, while Seyntex from Oostrozebeke began in 1908 with traditional textiles and now supplies protective clothing for defense and emergency services. In 1923 Nelen&Delbeke was founded, this familiy led business provides customers with a broad range of exceptional fabrics with an exquisite design.
As of this year, 2025, we also count Concordia Textiles among the centenarians.
Concordia: One Hundred Years Young
It was September 1925 when a new weaving mill was founded in Waregem. No one could have imagined back then that this small enterprise would grow into an international player producing more than 25 million meters of fabric each year.
Concordia began with lining and outdoor fabrics, everyday materials that found a steady place in wardrobes and collections. But gradually, the focus shifted. New generations dared to dream of textiles that could be more than beautiful or comfortable—fabrics that protect, respect nature, and contribute to a safer world.
Today, Concordia supplies innovative materials for defense, healthcare, automotive, and even wind energy. Think of flame-retardant fabrics that save lives or sustainable solutions that contribute to a circular economy. With its PURFI technology, the company recycles fibers from discarded textiles—without compromising on quality. The result? Less waste, more future. For the textile industry and for Concordia.
A Family Heart that Beats
Anyone visiting Concordia quickly realizes this is no anonymous factory. Despite its international growth—with locations in five countries and more than a thousand employees—the heart still beats in Waregem. In the beautiful building, 270 people work, accounting for half of the turnover, but above all: for the soul of the company.
CEO Carl Baekelandt (photo below: left top) sums it up in one sentence:
“Our strength lies in constant renewal. We combine family values with industrial ambition.”
That combination ensures that Concordia doesn’t get stuck in traditions, but also doesn’t abandon them. As Manu Tuytens (photo below: right top) puts it: it is a balancing act, where past and future meet.
Celebration and Outlook
Blowing out a hundred candles is not done quietly. In early September, Concordia celebrated its centenary with a double event: one for customers and suppliers, and one for employees and international delegations. True to the tradition of the Tuytens family, art also played a special role in the celebration.
And yet, Concordia is looking mainly ahead. With a turnover of 110 million euros and a recycling capacity of 3,000 tons of textiles per year, the company aims to remain a pioneer in innovation, sustainability, and flexibility for the coming century as well.
Interwoven with the Belgian Textile Industry
The stories of Libeco, De Witte Lietaer, B&T Textilia, Nelen&Delbeke, BekaertDeslee, Seyntex, Vandewiele and Concordia show that Belgian textile companies are not just producers, but weavers of timeless threads. They connect tradition with technology, humanity with ambition, the past with the future.
And if Concordia proves anything with its hundredth anniversary, it is this: those who dare to innovate without forgetting their roots can bridge a century—and are ready for the next one.
