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Belgium: no source dates tufting's arrival in West Flanders

Research finding · not yet checked at the source

Collection: Tuft the World research brief: The Non-English Record
Publisher: Associated Weavers (company history); Wikipedia 'Associated Weavers'
Themes: Global diffusion of tufting

View at the source Cited in chapter 7, notes 32, 33

Cite this source

“Belgium: no source dates tufting’s arrival in West Flanders.” Research note, Tuft the World research brief: The Non-English Record. carpetyourlife.com/en/about-us/associated-weavers/milestones.

Research notes

PARTIAL ANCHOR: in 1964 the American tufted-carpet maker Trend Mills opened a subsidiary in Ronse (East Flanders); after Champion International's 1969 takeover, tufted broadloom was concentrated there. Still no dated first tufting machine in West Flanders. Beaulieu (1959, Wielsbeke) began with weaving. Belgium is now a top-3 world exporter of tufted carpet, yet no Dutch-language source was found dating the start. A genuine gap. Citation check (Oct 2026, from search results; pages not opened): partly confirmed. Partial anchor, still no dated arrival in WEST Flanders. In 1964 the American (tufted-carpet) maker Trend Mills set up a subsidiary in Ronse (East Flanders). After Champion International's 1969 takeover, tufted broadloom production was concentrated at Ronse. Beaulieu was founded in 1959 by Roger De Clerck (Wielsbeke, West Flanders), but sources describe it starting with looms/weaving, not tufting. The gap for a dated first tufting machine in West Flanders remains. Source: Associated Weavers – Milestones, n/a. Found at: https://carpetyourlife.com/en/about-us/associated-weavers/milestones Also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Weavers · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_De_Clerck · https://www.fcnews.net/?p=28984