About this episode
In 1974, two young industrial designers in the Netherlands started a company making spinning wheels. Beginning in a family member’s chicken coop, they built a modern wheel featuring an upright castle-style format, a then-uncommon bobbin-lead drive system, and a drive wheel without spokes. Jan Louët Feisser and Clemens Claessen named their company Louët and began building the now-iconic S10 spinning wheel. The company soon moved out of the chicken coop and brought on other employees. By 1982, they began making looms, from expandable table looms to countermarche and eventually dobby looms. The founders, who loved the design aspect more than management, brought on Theo Vervoorn to handle the daily logistics. Across the Atlantic in Canada, a family of Dutch immigrants had started a farm as part of the “back to the land” movement. The sheep raised on their farm produced wool that needed to be processed, so Trudy van Stralen learned to spin, weave, and dye. She began selling Louët spinning wheels and soon became not only one of the company’s largest dealers but also an adviser on the fiber arts market. The van Stralen company founded Louët North America, with David van Stralen joining in 1994 and developing a special focus in equipment mechanics and maintenance. Over 50 years, countless aspects of Louët’s business have changed, and their practices have kept up. The modern manufacturing techniques that Louët pioneered in 1974 have continued to evolve, with 3D modeling, computer-guided milling, and contemporary materials finding their place in the company’s products alongside the high-quality wood that exemplified even the earliest wheels. Customers seek out answers online and in videos at all hours, and Louët strives to reply to customer questions in 24 hours. From small improvements to existing equipment to new products large (dobby looms) and small (inkle looms and a brand-new ballwinder), the company keeps design as a central focus. Some aspects of the business continue unchanged as the company has passed to a second generation. Theo Vervoorn’s son, Paul, joined the company in 2012 and purchased it in 2023. David van Stralen joined Louët’s main business as director of operations in 2022, though he can still be found replying to customer support tickets on weekends and tuning up equipment at festivals. As they plan for their next 50 years, Louët’s customer support team continues to help half a century’s worth of customers, and the design team has a list of products and innovations they’re working on. In this spotlight episode, discover what sustains the company and how they approach spinning and weaving. Links Louët.nl Louët’s 50th anniversary celebrations Louët dealers can be found in 45 countries. (If you have a question ourside your dealer’s business hours, you may find your answer at their Support portal. Linda Ligon’s article “The Louet s10 Spinning Wheel Is 50 Years Young” shares her experiences collaborating with Louët over a half century. This episode is brought to you by: Louët Team Louët is proud to be part of a multi-generational family business. We have been producing high quality handcraft products for 50 years. We take pride in our workmanship, innovative products, and customer service. We look forward to helping you with your next Louët products or to help introduce you to our fine products for the first time.