For a full century, the site along the Langestraat has been a familiar landmark for anyone passing through this corner of Twente. The chimney that once bore the name Servo is long gone, but the chemical company behind it, today known as KLK Kolb Specialties B.V., part of KLK OLEO Surfactants, remains deeply woven into the fabric of the region. A centenary worth celebrating.
The seven-hectare site is a world of its own. Laboratories, research facilities and towering reactors holding tens of thousands of litres operate virtually without pause, the only exception being public holidays. Visitors quickly learn the rules: beyond a clearly marked yellow line, only specially approved mobile phones are permitted. Safety is non-negotiable in this industry.
From Delden into Every Home
The plant does not manufacture finished consumer products. Instead, it produces surfactants, which are surface-active agents that allow oil and water to mix, or make substances soluble that would otherwise refuse to dissolve. These chemical building blocks end up in shampoos, laundry detergents, wall paints and textiles. In other words, there is a good chance something made in Delden is sitting in your home right now.
From a Steam Laundry to a Global Group
The story begins in 1926, when two local entrepreneurs, Kuiper and Rozenbroek, set up shop in a disused steam laundry after their original plan to build in Enschede fell through. They served the Twente textile industry, and during the Second World War even pivoted to food production when circumstances demanded it.
Decades of growth, restructuring and ownership changes followed. Locally the site is still affectionately called Servo, even though that name was officially retired in 2000 and the iconic chimney demolished in 2018. Today the company is owned by Swiss-based Kolb Distribution Ltd., itself part of KLK OLEO, the oleochemical arm of Malaysian conglomerate Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad.
More Than Just a Factory
The site is unusually well-equipped for an industrial location. It has its own volunteer fire brigade, a dedicated wastewater treatment plant, and most remarkably, a private railway spur that branches off the Zutphen–Oldenzaal line and runs directly onto the premises. Freight trains have used this connection for decades to deliver raw materials straight to the factory floor.
The railway has not always run without incident. In the early 1980s a wrongly set switch accidentally directed a passenger train onto the site. It was stopped in time, nobody was hurt, and the story has since become part of company folklore.
Three Generations, Fifty-Year Careers
Walk through the site with a long-serving colleague and you quickly sense that this is more than just a workplace. Over 200 people are employed here, the vast majority from Delden and the wider Twente area, with many of them cycling in each morning. Staff turnover is remarkably low: three employees recently marked 40 years of service, and last year one colleague reached 50. There are families where three generations have worked on the same site, and farmers‘ sons who once looked for a temporary job and never left. That kind of loyalty speaks for itself.
Centenary Celebrations
The anniversary programme ran across several days. A business reception took place on Thursday 30 April, followed on Friday 1 May by a gathering for retirees and former staff, with dignitaries including the mayor, a provincial executive and the Count of Twickel in attendance, and an evening party for current employees.
On Saturday 2 May, the site opened its doors to the general public. As production continues around the clock and safety rules are strict, visitors were guided around the grounds by bus. The programme included live demonstrations by the company fire brigade and a kids‘ science lab.
From a small chemical supplier for the local textile industry to a global player in specialty chemistry; one hundred years of growth, resilience and community. The story of KLK Kolb Specialties is far from over, and the next hundred years have already begun.
