1792
The painter Wiert Willem Sikkens started to create his own paints in Groningen, selling them to fellow painters and other customers. This was the birth of the Sikkens brand.

 

1837
Geert Willem, who had taken over the business from his father, took in his brother-in-law Willem Penaat as a partner in lacquer production. This was the beginning of the company G. W. Sikkens & Co. – a name that was soon to become synonymous with quality and skillful craftmanship.

 

1869
The first factory was built outside of Groningen. Shortly later, a subsidiary was set up in Emden to cater to growing demand from Germany.

 

1903
The inauguration of a further factory in Groningen's Helpmann industrial area. Later on, a laboratory was added to the complex to monitor quality and develop new products.

 

1928
Sikkens introduces cellulose lacquer, which was manufactured in a special factory. The new, sprayable lacquer is used in particular in industrial applications.

 

1934
The new synthetic Rubbol AZ lacquer sounds in a new era in the painting trade. Even then, Sikkens continually kept people in the whole industry informed of its state-of-art products and processing methods.

 

1939
The whole company moves from Groningen to Sassenheim. Sikkens uses the involuntary break in the Second World War to develop artificial resins in its labs.

 

1947
The development work during the war lead the foundation of "Synthese" man-made resin factory. At the same time, Sikkens introduced an efficient maintenance plan that guarantees long-term building protection, thus saving more costs.

 

1957
Sikkens acquired well-known factories such as Alpha wall paints, Flexa DIY products and Cetabever translucent products in the fifties and sixties. Further production facilities opened in Belgium, Sweden, Italy and Germany. All of these production facilities and the raw material factories such as "Synthese" made up the Sikkens Holding Company.

 

1962
The Koninklijke Zout Kette (KZK) joins the Sikkens Group.

 

1965
They merged with Koninklijke Zwanenberg Organon (KZO).

 

1969
KZO then was then merged with AKU, the Algemene Kunstzijde Unie – and Akzo was born. In Germany the Lesonal Farbfabrik and in France Astral are purchased; together with the Sikkens Group they comprise Akzo Coatings. This laid the foundations for growth in western and eastern Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.

 

1993
Akzo merges with Sweden's Nobel, which has specialised in lacquers and polishes since 1871, to form Akzo Nobel. Nobel's famous brand names, such as Rubbol paints, Cetol translucent products, Alpha wall coating were kept, as was tried-and-trusted quality introduced in 1792.