Our History

1853

DE POSTHOORN

Our story starts in De Posthoorn, an old brewery in Hamont, which Hendrik Jan Spaas transformed into a wax bleaching shop. It bleached beeswax for sale to monasteries and abbeys that made candles. People in Italy were also happy as the opera Il Trovatore premiered. 

1887

Cigars

While the Eiffel Tower was being built in Paris, the small company moved to Sint-Huibrechts-Lille. Part of the company was equipped as a cigar factory.

1901

Growth

After the closure of the cigar factory, the wax bleaching shop moved back to Hamont. The candle making shop was modernised by Gerard, Henri & Jozef Spaas and production was expanded. Unfortunately, it didn't win us the Nobel Prize, which in that same year was awarded for the first time.

1949

L. spaas en co

The family company was turned into the public limited company called NV Kaarsenfabriek L. Spaas en Co. It was not until 1980 that it became NV Spaas Kaarsen. That was the year when Chairman Mao founded the People's Republic of China.

1953

Fire

The company celebrated its 100th birthday and numbered approximately 60 employees. Unfortunately, one year later a fire broke out that burned down the entire factory. The Netherlands was hit by disastrous flooding.

1979

Relocation

The company relocated to its present site. By now demand for household candles and fantasy candles had increased significantly. Sales markets in the Netherlands, France and Germany were also growing strongly. 

1998

Automation

The production process was automated still further. Regrettably, the company was unable to take advantage of the power outage in New Zealand that lasted more than 66 days

2007

Poland

A production site was opened in Poland. Demand for scented and glass candles increased, giving birth to new concepts. In the United States, several mortgage banks found themselves in problems, ushering in the financial crisis. 

2014

Record holder

Spaas attracts attention during commemoration of the First World War and succeeded at the Christmas market in Mechelen in lighting up Europe's biggest candle, with a height of almost 4 meters and weighing approximately 2.2 tonnes.