LangmanTouw – A centuries-old Dutch craft
The Dutch have a rich tradition of craftsmanship and trade. They are also known worldwide as traders and innovators. A successful combination—and Rope Factory Langman BV proves that since 1638 as a purely Dutch company.
The rope factory in Nijkerk has a long history. “The company has a long history,” tells Henk Langman. “We were able to find this out thanks to our own archives and those of the municipality.” However, the rope-making shop in Nijkerk has not always been owned by the Langman family.
Hargert Langman, born in 1730 te steenwijk, started his own rope making shop there. In 1893 moved Lebbert Langman, son of Harm Langman, to Nijkerk because there was no more work for him in Steenwijk. Lebbert took over the rope-making shop from 1638 from the then owner Evert van Sweden.
In 1932 names Herman and Jeltje, together with Jan and Henk Langman, took over the company from their father Lebbert. When Herman and Jeltje in 1966 left the business — brother Henk was already in 1945 died — went Jan as the sole owner. His two sons, Henk en Herman, were already working in the rope making industry at that time.
In 1975 brothers Henk and Herman officially took over the company. In 1992 their paths diverged: Henk continued the rope factory at a new location, while Herman focused on water sports.
Today it stands LangmanTouw A symbol of more than three centuries of craftsmanship, innovation, and entrepreneurship. What once began as a traditional rope-making workshop has grown into a modern, sustainable factory that supplies worldwide. The Langman family remains true to its core values: quality, reliability, and passion for the trade—exactly as it has been intended since 1638.
The rope factory continues to grow. Construction began in May 2000 on the new location at Beurtschipper, with a total floor area of 4.500 m². In January 2013, Jan EM Langman, son of Henk HL Langman, took over the company.
Since the factory opened in 2001, continuous investment has been made in modern machinery and innovative production methods. This allows for increasingly sustainable and efficient production. Thanks to this continuous development, Langman Rope Factory grown into one of the most modern rope factories in Europe.
From April 2019 LangmanTouw is even the first rope factory to produce energy positive.
In 2020 the factory was further expanded with 1.100m².
In 2022 battery packs have been installed, making the factory fully energy neutral can operate.
In 2025 has been invested in a new tensile testing machine with a capacity of 300 ton.
And the growth continues: in 2026 the factory will be expanded with another 910m².
From classic to high-tech – we keep track.
Jan Langman
Owner of Rope Factory Langman BV
