Belgium
The story of Bekaert starts in Zwevegem, a rural village in Belgium, where local farmers are faced with the perennial problem of cattle showing the stubborn habit of straying beyond the boundaries of their fields so damaging other people’s property. Leo Leander Bekaert translates their need into a business opportunity: he starts up a small business in barbed wire by putting nails in twisted wire. Leo Leander Bekaert didn’t invent barbed wire, but he soon designs his own barbs: star-shaped ‘crowns’ with six sharp points which can be woven into the wire. In 1881 he patents this invention and, in next to no time, recruits most of the village to work at home making ‘crowns’ enabling Bekaert to continue producing at full speed.
Transforming steel wire and applying advanced coating know-how. That is what we are good at.
Improving both the bulk and surface properties of steel wire products since more than 140 years. That is what we do better, every day.
Offering innovative solutions that add value to our customers and help them grow their business. That is what makes us better together.
We purchase approximately 3 million tons of wire rod per year as our basic material. Depending on our customers’ needs, we draw wire from it in different diameters and strengths, even as thin as ultrafine fibers of one micron. We group the wires into cords, ropes and strands, weave or knit them into fabric, or process them into an end product. Depending on the application, we apply coatings which reduce friction, improve corrosion resistance, or enhance adhesion with other materials.
