What Vandeputte does

Vandeputte Group s.a. is a fifth-generation family-owned Belgian industrial company founded in 1887 by Gustave Vandeputte, headquartered in Mouscron, Belgium, and operating three integrated divisions: Soap & Detergents (Savon & Détergence), Oil Mill (Huilerie), and Oleochemistry (Oleochimie). The Oil Mill division mechanically cold-presses and hot-presses flaxseed at scale (>10% of world production handled), producing 1st-press food-grade linseed oil with 55%+ Omega-3 content, crude and refined linseed oils for paints/inks/varnishes/linoleum, and linseed expellers for animal feed. The Soap & Detergents division develops, manufactures, packages, and markets liquid cleaning products (laundry, dish, all-purpose, specialty) under private-label programs for "largest European distributors" and brand owners, plus own-brand Mousse de Lin and the consumer-facing Huile des Centenaires linseed oil/flax flour range launched in 2013. The Oleochemistry division produces 100+ specialized vegetable-oil derivatives (standolies from flax/soy/tung/castor/sunflower/safflower, cooked oils, oxidized blown oils, maleinized oils, VEOLISOL reactive thinners, VOME bio-based solvents, and VEOMUL bio-based alkyd resins at 97-98% bio-sourced content) for ink, coating, polymer, paint, wood-treatment, and industrial applications, with a pilot reactor for customer co-development.

The company makes money through B2B direct sales relationships with European mass distributors (private-label contract manufacturing), maintenance professionals (professional cleaning products), and industrial buyers (commodity-grade linseed oil and specialty oleochemicals shipped in all quantities to 5 continents). It does not disclose public pricing but uses direct-sales engagement for both commodity and specialty volumes. Vertical integration — the Oil Mill feeds both downstream divisions — and a layered certification stack (ISO 9001, ISO 22716 GMP, IFS HPC, EU Ecolabel, Ecocert, RSPO, Apave) anchor its positioning in bio-based, sustainably sourced cleaning products and industrial chemistry substitutes for petro-derived inputs. The group operates three production sites (Mouscron BE, Boulogne-sur-Mer FR via 2017 PAD-group acquisition, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours FR via 2024 acquisition — a 24,000+ m² automated facility capable of 70M bottles/year of dishwashing liquid and 40M bottles/year of laundry product) plus storage at Pecq port with 15,000 tonnes total flaxseed/linseed cake capacity.

Name

Vandeputte

Legal name

Vandeputte Group s.a.

Website

https://vandeputte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vandeputte is a fifth-generation Belgian family-owned industrial group operating three integrated divisions — private-label liquid detergents, flaxseed oil milling, and vegetable-oil-based specialty oleochemistry — serving European mass distributors, brand owners, and industrial buyers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Soap, Detergent and Oleochemical Manufacturing

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing (324191)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Fuel Additives & Lubricant Additives (IMAEAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lubricant Additives & Performance Chemicals (EUALAJAB), Greases & Specialty Lubricants (Greases, Pastes, Chain Oils, Silicone/Fluoro) (EUALAJAJ)

Keywords

• Linseed oil production
• Oleochemical derivatives
• Private label detergents
• Flaxseed processing
• Bio-based alkyd resins

Headquarters

HQ city

Boechout

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Soap and Detergent Manufacturing: Development, manufacture, packaging and marketing of liquid detergents for mass distribution and market professionals under private label and the company's own brand including 'Mousse de Lin'.
2. Oil Mill Operations: Crushing of flaxseed through mechanical pressure to extract linseed oil for soap manufacturing, human food applications, paint and coating components, inks, varnish, linoleum, and animal feed supplements (linseed expellers).
3. Oleochemicals Division: Development, production and marketing of vegetable oil derivatives including standolies, cooked oils, blown oils, maleinised oils, and modified/functionalised oils. Serves ink, coating and polymer sectors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Vandeputte is an industrial manufacturer that mechanically presses flaxseed to produce linseed oil and expellers (Oil Mill division), develops and packages liquid soaps and detergents for mass distribution and professional markets under private label and its own brand (Soap & Detergents division), and produces over 100 vegetable oil derivatives including standolies, cooked oils, oxidized/blown oils, VEOLISOL reactive thinners and VEOMUL bio-based alkyd resins for ink, coating, polymer and wood treatment customers (Oleochemistry division). The three divisions are vertically integrated, with the Oil Mill supplying linseed oil that feeds both the soap factory and oleochemical transformations.

Product overview

Vandeputte Group is a family-owned industrial group founded in 1887, operating three divisions: Soap & Detergents, Oil Mill, and Oleochemistry. The Soap & Detergents division develops, manufactures, and packages liquid cleaning products (laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, all-purpose cleaners, and specialty cleaners) under private label and the historic Mousse de Lin brand. The Oil Mill division crushes flaxseed through mechanical cold and hot pressing to produce 1st press linseed oil (food grade with 55%+ Omega-3), crude linseed oil (for linoleum and animal feed), refined linseed oil (for paints and inks), and linseed expellers (animal feed with 50-55% Omega-3). The Oleochemistry division develops and produces over 100 technical oil derivatives including standolies (flax, soy, tung, castor, sunflower, safflower), cooked oils, oxidized blown oils, maleinized oils, emulsifiable oils, the VEOLISOL reactive thinners line, VEOMUL bio-based alkyd emulsions (97-98% bio-sourced), and various vegetable oils (tung, castor, safflower, soybean, rapeseed, sunflower). The three divisions are integrated: the Oil Mill supplies linseed oil to the Soap division and Oleochemistry division, which transforms vegetable oils into technical materials for ink, coating, polymer, and industrial applications. All divisions operate under an ISO 9001-certified quality management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Huile des Centenaires®: A brand of linseed oil and flax flour launched by Vandeputte in 2013, combining pleasure and health.
• Mousse de Lin
• VEOLISOL
• VEOMUL

Products and services

• Mousse de Lin A historic linseed oil-based soap, the company's heritage product that established its presence in the Belgian and European cleaning products market.
• Textile Care Products A product line of laundry detergents (standard and concentrated), specialist laundry liquids, stain removers and laundry care products for mass retail and professional cleaning use.
• Hand & Dish Wash Products A product line of washing-up liquids, dishwashing gels and rinse aids sold to households and professional users.
• Floors and Surfaces Products A product line of liquid and soft soaps, all-purpose cleaners, parquet care products and multi-surface sprays for retail and professional customers.
• Specific Cleaning Solutions A product line of toilet cleaners, descaling cleaners, degreasers, window cleaners and sanitary cleaners serving retail and professional segments.
• Private Label Soaps & Detergents Custom-formulated liquid detergents and soaps manufactured under retailer and brand owner labels, developed for European mass distribution customers since 1987.
• 1st Press Linseed Oil Cold-pressed linseed oil with minimum 55% Omega-3 content sold for food use and soap making.
• Crude Linseed Oil Crude linseed oil with low phosphorus content used for linoleum production, animal feed (with antioxidant additives) and as feedstock for vegetable oil derivatives.
• Refined Linseed Oil Refined linseed oil with low colour and low acid value used in paints, wood protection, offset inks and as a raw material for stand oils and epoxidation.
• Linseed Expellers 100% natural, GMO-free linseed expeller with minimum 32% protein and 50-55% Omega-3 concentration, produced by double cold and hot mechanical pressure without solvents, used in animal feed for livestock, horses, sows, pigs and poultry.
• Flaxseed Commercialized and distributed flaxseed with full traceability and GMO-free guarantee; Vandeputte handles over 10% of global flaxseed production.
• Huile des Centenaires A registered brand of linseed oil and flax flour launched in 2013, combining culinary and health positioning in the food and supplement market.
• Flax Stand Oil Standolie with viscosity 1 to 600 poise at 20°C, used as reaction initiator in alkyd resin production, additive in offset inks, binder for decorative paint and varnish, and as wetting agent/dispersant in paints.
• Vegetable Stand Oils (Soy, China Wood, Dehydrated Castor, Sunflower, Safflower) A range of stand oils (2-300 poise at 20°C) used as reaction initiators in alkyd resins, binders in white paints, marine paints, wood treatments, natural varnishes and as additives in greases and lubricants.
• Cooked Linseed Oils Pre-oxidised linseed oils with added drier cocktails in baked, light baked, double-cooked and high viscosity variants, used for wood treatment and preservation, primers, putties, waterproofing and anti-corrosion protection.
• Oxidised Blown Oils Oils obtained by incorporating oxygen at moderate temperatures, including oxidised linseed oil (moulding agent for foundries), oxidised soybean oil (mastics and gaskets), oxidised rapeseed oil (lubricants) and oxidised castor oil (greases, lubricants, adhesives, plasticizers for inks).
• Maleinised Oils and Dehydrated Castor Oil Maleinised linseed and soybean oils used in wood treatment and foundry products, and semi-drying dehydrated castor FSG oil with conjugated double bonds used as raw material for alkyd, epoxy and acrylic resins with good reactivity and low yellowing.
• Emulsifiable Oils Emulsifiable linseed, soybean and rapeseed oils for various industrial applications.
• VEOLISOL Reactive Thinners Custom-developed vegetable oil product combining the characteristics of several vegetable oils, easy to apply with solvent power and drying time of only a few hours, popular for wood treatment and protection.
• VOME Vegetable Origin Solvents Solvents made from vegetable oil methyl esters (flax, soya, rapeseed or palm) retaining the original oil's fatty acid profile but with up to ten times lower viscosity.
• VEOMUL Bio-Based Alkyd Resins Bio-based vegetable emulsion alkyd resins (VEOMUL VT-098 at 98% bio-sourced and VEOMUL VS-097 at 97% bio-sourced) developed from renewable raw materials to replace petro-sourced substances in coatings.
• Castor Oil N°1 / FSG, China Wood (Tung) Oil, Safflower Oil Specialty vegetable oils used as base materials: First Special Grade castor oil (90%+ ricinoleic acid) for lubricants, polyurethane resins, cosmetics, polyamides and plasticizers; China wood (tung) oil (70%+ alpha-eleostearic acid) for wood preservation, alkyd resins and marine paints; safflower oil (70%+ conjugated linoleic acids) for white paints, varnishes and cosmetics with fast drying and very low yellowing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity increased 10x in less than 10 years for oleochemicals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered industry association and core.

• AISEindustry associationOthersActive participation in European cleaning products association with involvement in commissions, working groups, task forces, and voluntary initiatives.
• DETICindustry associationOthersActive participation in Belgian chemical industries federation and working groups for environmental initiatives and regulations.
• RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)coreOthersMember (Vandeputte Holding S.A) with Declaration of Support for RSPO Shared Responsibility Indicators, supporting sustainable palm oil sourcing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IOI Oleo GmbH: German specialty oleochemical manufacturer producing fatty alcohols, acids, esters, and bio-based emollients from palm and rapeseed oils — comparable to Vandeputte's downstream vegetable-oil derivatives in industrial and consumer chemical markets.
• Colep (RAR Group): Portuguese contract manufacturer of personal care, home care, and industrial cleaning products for retail and brand-owner private labels across Europe — a direct comparable in B2B cleaning-product private label manufacturing at similar scale.
• Oleon (Avril Group): Belgian-headquartered oleochemical producer of fatty acids, glycerin, and specialty esters from vegetable oils — a direct peer to Vandeputte's Oleochemistry division with overlapping renewable-feedstock specialty chemical applications in lubricants, coatings, and polymers.
• McBride plc: UK-listed European leader in private-label household cleaning and personal care products, serving major retailers with laundry, dishwashing, and surface cleaners — directly comparable to Vandeputte's Soap & Detergents division and contract manufacturing model.
• Werner & Mertz GmbH: German sustainable cleaning products manufacturer (Frosch, Ecover brands) with strong EU Ecolabel positioning — Vandeputte literally acquired the former PAD/Ecover Boulogne-sur-Mer production site from this competitive orbit, and they compete in the same sustainable cleaning-product retail channel.

Others

• Desmet Ballestra Group: Belgian-headquartered engineering and technology provider for oils & fats processing, oleochemistry, and detergent manufacturing — an enabling/equipment peer rather than a direct competitor, but technically and geographically adjacent to Vandeputte's core operations.

Broad incumbents

• Croda International plc: UK-listed global specialty chemicals leader with a substantial oleochemical and bio-based additives portfolio serving personal care, coatings, and industrial markets — a much larger broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in vegetable-oil-derived performance chemicals.
• Stepan Company: US-listed specialty chemical manufacturer of surfactants, polymers, and specialty products serving cleaning, personal care, and industrial end-markets — comparable oleochemistry/surfactant capabilities and a broader incumbent with multi-region manufacturing.
• Cargill, Incorporated: Global agricultural commodity processor with significant oilseed crushing and bio-based industrial chemicals operations — relevant for both Vandeputte's flaxseed sourcing scale and its vegetable-oil-derivative product positioning.
• BASF SE: World's largest chemical company with extensive oleochemistry, care chemicals, and coatings raw materials businesses — operates as a broad incumbent across most of Vandeputte's downstream end-markets including detergents, coatings, and industrial fluids.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vandeputtesafety

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vandeputte