Flax 10,000 years of passion

Since Antiquity, flax has accompanied Man and his evolution, as illustrated by its broad iconography. The fiber in flax has always been considered a noble and delicate textile that requires specific care. Flax is a rich raw material for textiles: manufacturing of ‘haute couture’ clothing (long fibers) or ready-made clothing. Flax is also the leader in ecological fibers. Every part of flax can be used. True ‘blue gold’, this plant is a source of many products. The flax tow is used in making paper, whether currency bills, such as the American dollar, or cigarette paper, and even brake friction pads. The shives are used to make composite panels. The seeds are re-sown or transformed into oil, paint or food for animals. Even the dust is used as organic soil amendments for agriculture (fertilizer).

More than 50 years of innovation at the service of flax

This is the story of more than fifty years of inventiveness in the field of flax-related machines. Dehondt Technologies is a family-owned company that has covered five generations. Its tractor balers revolutionized the world of flax. Initially, during the First World War, our Belgian ancestor discovered Normandy and was charmed by the small blue flower. The spirit of entrepreneurship took over him and he moved to the Caux region. His four sons dedicated their energies to the family project: scutching mill, research, mechanical inventions and demonstration of machines. The Dehondt brand was born from this perfect combination of skills. In 1953, the company turned towards the diversification of flax mechanization opportunities with the birth of the first Dehondt vehicle. Guy Dehondt took over at the end of the ‘60s. He set the company on the path towards modernization and the diversification of flax mechanization. In 1971, the company changed dimensions, their headquarters: Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon ( 76). Since then, the company has continued to prove its core family values while modernizing its production and commercial policies. Today, with the same love of flax, Guy’s son, Guillaume Dehondt, the fifth generation, heads the company.

New methods of cultivation to come

Today, Dehondt Technologies is positioned as the leading partner for long fiber producers on a planetary scale. To meet the demands of a new industrial market, Dehondt looks towards evolutions in a sector in full expansion. Fiber flax must preserve its image as a high quality natural product grown traditionally. Industrial flax, however, must meet the challenges of excessively rigorous agricultural constraints and risks related to its cultivation and retting. New processing and transformation techniques for industrial flax are currently under study. The mechanization of this new flax must be optimal and is yet to be invented. In this field, Dehondt`s entrepreneurial spirit is exemplary and the company is already involved in practical research. Never copy, but innovate – this is the Dehondt mantra.

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