Thursday, October 2, 2025
Nestled in the town of Lochem, Netherlands, Louët BV might easily be overlooked by passersby. Yet this modest facility is home to one of the world’s leading producers of spinning wheels, looms, carding machines, and other traditional craft accessories. The family-run business has now partnered with ADLER, Austria’s top paint and varnish manufacturer, to enhance the coating process of its globally renowned wooden tools.
Louët’s products are known for their exceptional quality. From Japan and the United States to Australia and New Zealand, tens of thousands of passionate users rely on their equipment. For over 50 years, Louët has been a trusted name in the world of authentic handcrafting.
All of this takes place at Louët’s production facility in Lochem, where a small team of around 30 employees manages everything internally. “With our approximately thirty employees, we do almost everything in-house on a production area of approximately 2,000 m². This includes the entire production process, from tree to product, as well as assembly, storage, and sales,” says Paul Vervoorn, Managing Director of Louët. “We also coat our handicraft products with clear varnish ourselves.”
Historically, the varnishing process was done by hand using water-based varnishes. However, the company has recently integrated a mechanical spraying system to optimise this process. The clear coating now in use is Bluefin Unistar, a water-based all-purpose varnish from ADLER.
What prompted the transition to ADLER? According to Vervoorn, “Our paint supplier at the time didn’t sell the right paint for machine spraying in our paint shop.” This limitation led Louët to explore alternatives. The company tested a variety of water-based coatings from multiple suppliers before settling on ADLER.
“We were very satisfied with the price-performance ratio. ADLER also scored highly in terms of speed, quality, and delivery reliability. Our customers seem to agree, as we haven’t received any complaints to date,” says Vervoorn.
The successful integration of Bluefin Unistar was also driven by technical support from the ADLER Benelux team, based in Heeze. Their expert guidance was crucial in aligning Louët’s varnishing process with ADLER’s product range.
“The process went quite smoothly. In the beginning, it was a bit of an adjustment, and we had to coordinate some things a little better,” Vervoorn recalls. As part of their optimised workflow, Louët made a conscious decision to apply a single-component (1K) paint system.
The 1K system offers a key advantage. It allows for excess paint to be collected and reused as primer. “We first spray our products with primer, then with lacquer. We collect the residue and then reuse it as a primer,” says Vervoorn. In contrast, 2K paints have a limited open pot life, making them difficult to reuse.
A minor drawback of 1K paints is the longer drying time. But ADLER’s technical team provided effective solutions. “ADLER then gave us good advice on what to do – the company has a lot of knowledge in this field,” adds Vervoorn. “It’s also nice that our contacts are always easy to reach and are always thinking about how to further optimise our processes.”
Louët’s shift to Bluefin Unistar is part of a broader commitment to sustainable practices. The company is planning to extend the use of ADLER coatings to its kitchen and interior design segments. “In the future, we as a company want to switch completely to water-based coatings,” says Vervoorn.
The ADLER Benelux team values the collaboration with Louët: “In addition to the personal approach, it was nice that Louët was very open to our various tests. This ultimately enabled us to find and deliver the product most suitable for the application – and that is Bluefin Unistar.”
Founded in 1934 and based in Schwaz, Tyrol, ADLER is Austria’s leading manufacturer of paints, varnishes, and wood preservatives. The company, managed by the third generation of the Berghofer family, employs around 730 people. Each year, approximately 21,000 tonnes of varnish are produced and shipped to customers across 30+ countries.
ADLER is known for innovation and sustainability. The company is actively working to reduce its carbon footprint and offer environmentally responsible solutions for various industries.
Its subsidiaries in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and beyond allow it to serve customers across Europe with high-quality and dependable products like Bluefin Unistar, now a central element in Louët BV’s production.
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Tags: ADLER paints, Bluefin Unistar, eco-friendly wood coatings, Louët BV, machine coating, water-based varnishes, woodworking industry
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