History

Thomas Regout was founded in 1834. The company started as a manufacturer of nails and spikes. During almost 2 centuries Thomas Regout has developed different specialties and now finds itself in a worldwide leading position in producing and designing customized telescopic slides.


Milestones

• 1834: Thomas Regout became co-owner of ‘de nieuwe Nederlandsche Spijkerfabriek’, ‘the new Dutch nails and spikes factory’.

 

• 1843: Thomas Regout takes over the factory.

 

• 1850: Industrialisation in Maastricht is booming. Thomas Regout modernises his factory and starts producing with the help of machines, which increases production and lowers prices.

 

• In the beginning of the 20th century the company experienced a major crisis. The company was forced to reduce production costs. Next to this investments were made in order to keep the company healthy.

• During WWI the company was, surprisingly, highly profitable. The sales of spikes increased. First the old stock was sold, and then slowly new production was started up. Nails also became more popular, but a few years later these were replaced by smaller nails used for shoe production. The Dutch shoe industry was completely dependent on national production in this period, because the German lath production was not available to the Dutch.

 

• 1920 – 1930: General economical conditions improved gradually. Thomas Regout started to cooperate with Dutch and Belgian nail factories. International business relationships grew and were strengthened.

 

• 1930’s: Like most companies Thomas Regout couldn’t escape the next economical crisis. The Dutch government decreased the nail import by 50% and because of that the Maastricht N.V. was able to improve its sales.

• 1939-1945: Mr. Van Eyseren became the new director of the company and with him a new era started for Thomas Regout. He began by buying the patent for curtain rails and then started up the rail department. Several smaller companies were acquired and Thomas Regout began to produce metal bicycle parts such as baggage racks and bicycle pumps, and also small metal parts like as studs and buttons. After the war the profile department was the most profitable part of company.

 

• 1950’s: The designers of the curtain tracks found that the telescopic slide was a product that they could manufacture mostly on the machines they already were using. This new development and the sales of the ball bearing slides turned out to be a golden opportunity.

 

• 1960’s: spikes and nails became less important and in April 1971 the last spikes were produced.

 

• 1974: The name of the factory was changed into Thomas Regout N.V.

 

• 1999: Thomas Regout was acquired by the American concern Compx.

 

• 2005: After the management buy-out, Thomas Regout came back in Dutch hands. The three shareholders started up with a new mission statement and company strategy. From that moment on Thomas Regout started an upward trend.

 

• 2008: The Regout Group grows by the take-over of Melamo. In June 2008 the window decoration and telescopic slides departments become two separate companies: Thomas Regout B.V. and Thomas Regout International B.V.

 

• 2009: Thomas Regout International closes a joint venture with Intespring called Anchis Technologies. Together they start developing products in the vertical balance market, a step into a new market for Thomas Regout.

 

• 2011: The Regout Group grows again by building a new company: Melamo Stainless Modules in the Slovak Republic.

 

• 2012: The Regout Group takes over Drillmasters, a drill producing and regrinding company that mainly works for airplane builders.