In case you haven’t heard the news, we want to let you know that Schacht has been acquired by Paul Vervoorn, owner of Louët BV and Venne BV. The time had come for CEO, Barry Schacht, to retire from the company he founded in 1969. Barry’s goal was to keep the Schacht legacy alive with a buyer who he felt could be successful in this special, niche market.
When attending Convergence 2024 in Wichita, Kansas last year, Barry met Paul, who had recently purchased Louët from the founders. Paul had actually grown up around the business, as his father was the owner until his retirement a few years ago. Paul was interested in continuing the Louët brand, a company that got its start just a few years after Schacht was founded. At Convergence, Paul and Barry struck up a friendship. After Paul visited the Schacht factory after the conference, he sent Barry an email suggesting that he would like to be Barry’s successor. The conversation began, culminating in a purchase offer from Paul this spring.
We are thrilled with this transition on several levels: Schacht Spindle Company will continue with its employees in place, at the same facility where we now operate, with our son-in-law Michael Yaeger and our daughter Nora Schacht retaining their minority interest in the company. Louët will bring updates to our systems that will make Schacht more efficient and better to respond to demand. New software and production upgrades are on the horizon—all which will improve quality and timeliness.
We’ve known Louët, based in the Netherlands, for many years. We know them to be manufacturers of distinctive, quality products for spinning and weaving. We’ve actually had friendly relations with Louët for over 40 years. In 1980, when Jane and Barry took their first bike trip across Europe, they stayed at Jan Louët Freisser’s home for a couple of nights, touring the Louët factory.
Both companies have strong brands, each with a distinctive identity. We are confident that this uniqueness and quality will be preserved and actively nurtured.
Thank you for being part of our 55 year journey. We feel that the weaving and spinning community is our home, and we hope to stay in contact with many of you as we transition to retirement.
Barry Schacht and Jane Patrick
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Louët has laid out these immediate priorities:
- All three brands—Louët, Venne, and Schacht—will remain distinct, strong, and customer-focused.
- Our shared goal is to increase product accessibility worldwide, offering consumers a broader range of high-quality spinning and weaving tools.
- As we improve manufacturing efficiency, we can maintain more products in stock and fulfill website orders more quickly.
- Ultimately, we plan to distribute products from all three companies across North America and Europe, reducing shipping distances as much as possible. Faster delivery and lower energy use benefit our customers and the planet.
Change is inevitable, and we may need a few years to realize all these goals. Through it all, we are committed to maintaining—and improving—the high standards of product quality and customer support you’ve come to expect. We are excited to carry these three trusted brands into a stronger, more connected future. Thank you for being a part of it.
Warm regards,
The Louët, Venne, and Schacht Teams