RIGO Verffabriek – a flexible family business with an international network
RIGO Verffabriek was formed back in 1938 IJmuiden in the Netherlands (in the province of North Holland). Thomas Viellevoije begins: ‘RIGO is still a family business with the advantage of being able to work highly flexibly. Just think of production in a limited volume.’ RIGO Verffabriek employs about 50 people in the Netherlands and operates mainly in the Benelux in terms of sales, but has now opened doors in other Western European countries and even in South Africa.
Thomas continues: ‘RIGO targets professional users, such as joiners, painters, floor fitters, furniture makers, interior builders, and even artists. Our products are sold via wholesalers. That’s a conscious choice. Indeed, we as a company wish to focus entirely on producing top quality paints and lacquers.’
Since 2022, RIGO Verffabriek has been part of the French Blanchon Group. This partnership means that RIGO Verffabriek, together with Ciranova (Belgium), is market leader in Western Europe in the field of floor lacquers and floor oils. ‘We can look back on an excellent start to our partnership with Ciranova. This Belgian company now also promotes our RIGO products in its own country and we also sell Ciranova products on the Dutch market. A win-win situation.’

Forerunner in the field of sustainability
RIGO Verffabriek considered sustainability to be a top priority from its early days. Thomas points out here the potentially harmful effects of solvent-based products: ‘Just think of the Organo Psycho Syndrome, also called the painter’s disease, and the effects on the environment. We realised at an early stage that solvent-based products would make way for alternatives which are ecologically more responsible. For instance, RIGO Verffabriek has decided to use linseed oil as a binding agent instead of synthetic ingredients. Linseed is a biological product which originates from flax plants.
In the Netherlands the legislation has gradually developed in the run-up to the year 2000 when water-based solutions became the new norm. “We didn’t wait for the legislation. The range from RIGO already consisted mainly of waterborne paints and lacquers. The market, and especially traditional painters and fitters, aren’t too keen on change. And so, we see it as our job to persuade the market that the road to sustainability yields specific benefits for our health.’

SKYLT, STEP, and STEP Renovation Lacquer – also for wooden stairs
The RIGO Verffabriek range includes SKYLT, a lacquer which preserves the natural beauty of the wood. The unique feature? Once SKYLT Overpaintable Colour Oil is applied to the surface, it is possible to apply a first coat of SKYLT lacquer with no waiting time. SKYLT is a floor lacquer which, however, can also serve perfectly well to give staircases a natural matt treatment.
Another highlight in the range is STEP, a biological parquet lacquer with a hardener which contains no isocyanate. Thomas says, ‘Moreover, STEP has a tin life of no fewer than 72 hours. This means that professionals have a good three days to apply the lacquer once the tin is open.’ An innovation from 2023 is STEP Renovation Lacquer, which can be applied perfectly well to surfaces which are difficult to sand. This product can also be applied to laminate, PVC, and wooden stairs. ‘Our floor lacquers and floor oils are strong enough to exert a solid effect even on wooden stairs. And so, professionals can treat both floors and stairs with one and the same product purchase.’

Future: responding to the ready-for-use flooring market
The flooring market is developing. The trend? Producers are increasingly offering ready-for-use floors. That also applies to staircases which are being offered more and more often in a building package. Thomas comments: ‘This development has also had an impact on our business and sector. At RIGO we expect to be concentrating even more on industry in the future. Specifically, this means that our products are applied even before a floor or staircase has left the factory.’
A company with such a rich history as RIGO Verffabriek seems ready to face this challenge.

Web site: www.rigoverffabriek.nl