Hof der dingen - Injextru Tielt – From Hula Hoops to High-Tech Plastics

As environmently conscious that we are these days and as much as we try to cut plastic out of our daily lvies for the sake of the environment – it’s hard to imagine a world completely without it. 

One of the companies that brought PVC into the daily lives of West Flemish people is Injextru, based in Tielt. Their story began in 1947, when André Verbeke, formerly employed at the plastics company Formica, founded his own business: Injextru. The company focused on plastic extrusion – a high-volume manufacturing process used to create plastic profiles. 

The company quickly found success, producing everyday plastic items that made life easier in the 1950s and ‘60s – things like clotheslines, for example. 

But their big breakthrough came when Injextru became the first company in the Benelux to jump on a brand-new trend from the US: the hula hoop. The hula hoop had been invented by two American students, Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, who founded the Wham-O company in 1948 and turned the toy into a global sensation. The hula hoop craze took the world by storm, with over 100 million hula hoops sold in just 1958 and 1959 alone. Hula hoops quickly became popular due to a combination of factors – their fun nature, but also the numerous physical and mental health benefits that were promoted by fitness gurus. 

Injextru benefited greatly from the trend. They began producing and distributing hula hoops on October 18, 1957, and demand was so high that by 1961, a new company wing had to be built – complete with three additional extrusion machines. Later, Injextru expanded into other toys such as jump ropes, fuse beads, and colourful cords for scoubidou crafts. In the 1980s, the company shifted its focus toward producing technical plastic components. 

In 2022, Injextru Tielt proudly celebrated its 75th anniversary.