Calcutta-Annabel, the oldest weaving mill in Belgium, has closed its doors. About 80 jobs at Calcutta in Sleidinge and Annabel Textiles in Mariakerke are therefore at risk. The Christian trade union ACV Metea confirms this. A sudden drop in orders would have made bankruptcy unavoidable.
The 175-year-old East Flemish textile group Calcutta Home Fashion had acquired the Waregem company AG Tex at the beginning of last year. This was the third acquisition for the group in six months.
Calcutta was founded in Sleidinge in 1848, making it the oldest weaving mill in the country. Since 2019, the company has been owned by CEO Christof Vermeersch. The company was in bad shape at the time of the takeover, but the infusion of fresh capital and a new strategy should change that.
Calcutta-Annabel is mainly active in interior textiles. “The company has recently faced a serious drop in orders,” says trade unionist Evi Van der Bracht of ACV-Metea. “Due to a decline in production and rising costs, there was no longer any viability in the long term. Losses mounted and the banks pressed the stop button.” The curator will now settle the bankruptcy.