In 1792 house painter Wiert Willem Sikkens started the production of Sikkens lacquers in the town of Groningen. He used a small gateway in the Groningen town wall as a boiler house and for sales, he bought a property on Herestraat, the best shopping street in the town. In the peacefully situated lacquer boiler house he had no trouble from busybodies and he troubled no one. In the busy Herestraat, he sold glass, wood and tools as well as paint and lacquer to fellow painters and others. The son of the founder, Geert Willem, took the company over, and in 1837 he also involved his brother-in-law Willem Penaat in production. They chose G.W. Sikkens & Co. as a name, and this became a synonym for quality and craftsmanship.

The businesses expanded. Following the death of Geert Willem Sikkens, Willem Penaat had a new factory built outside the town in 1869. Sikkens lacquers had become well known now and were in great demand, even as far away as Germany. A branch was set up in Emden. Growth continued. In 1903 the two Penaat sons, Willem and Johannus, took possession of a larger factory on the new Helpman industrial estate. This was followed by several expansions with machines, buildings, stores and even a laboratory where quality was monitored and new products were developed, such as Japanese lacquers (around 1900), and fast drying car lacquers (in 1924), which made it possible to refinish a car perfectly within six days.

A great revolution brought the introduction of cellulose lacquer in 1928. A special factory arose and industry above all profited from this modern lacquer. Sikkens technicians taught the customers to work with the paint spray and wholesalers were appointed throughout the Netherlands to guarantee rapid delivery. The most diverse products were finished using the new Sikkens lacquers: cars, aircraft, trains, typewriters, furniture, shoes, walking sticks, water heaters, dolls, portrait frames and much more. Then a new era began for house painters (in 1934), when the synthetic lacquer Rubbol A-Z became available. All these modern products and new processing methods were accompanied by clear information in the form of technical instructions, color cards and regularly published periodicals such as 'Sikkens Omroep' and 'Rubbol Varia.'

The town of Groningen became too small for the continuously expanding Sikkens factories, and in 1939, the entire company moved to the west of the country. A completely new, modern complex was acquired in Sassenheim. The second world war delayed further growth. Importation of foreign raw materials was impossible. In the laboratories a great deal of time was spent on developing artificial resins, with great success. This even led to the set up of the artificial resin company 'Synthese' (in 1947), now 'AkzoNobel Resins.' Immediately after the war Sikkens resumed deliveries to customers as quickly as possible: for buildings, means of transport and industrial products.

Maintenance of buildings throughout the country had been neglected during the war and a drastic approach was needed. By way of a solution, Sikkens introduced the Period timetable, a long-term approach that guaranteed better protection of buildings and moreover saved costs. Decoration was considered in addition to efficient maintenance. Sikkens introduced the 'Functional use of colors.' Advisors went out to the country to create well considered color schemes for fascias and interiors and to add an extra dimension to expert paintwork. Sikkens' color swatches were a formidable weapon in the hands of architects and painters, and the Netherlands became more pleasant and colorful because of them.

Sikkens has specialized in the production of high-quality lacquers for professional handlers for many years. But there was also a demand for other types of paint. This is why Sikkens decided during the fifties and sixties to take over several well known factories. Alpha wall paints, Flexa DIY paints, Smits' nautical and construction paints and Cetabever stains completed the Sikkens offering. Several production units were also opened abroad: Sikkens Fama in Belgium, Condorverken in Sweden, Sikkens SpA in Italy and Sikkens Lackfabriken GmbH in Germany assured foreign customers of rapid delivery. The entirety (plus several raw material factories like Synthese) were accommodated in the Sikkens Group holding company.

Increase in scale was the fashionable term in the seventies. Sikkens was at the forefront of this. In 1962 the Sikkens Group affiliated with the Koninklijke Zout chain, the chemical alliance that had been created the year before. In 1965 KZK merged with Koninklijke Zwanenberg Organon. In 1969 these two were linked to the AKU, the Algemene Kunstzijde Unie, and so Akzo was created. That was the beginning of European growth. In Germany the Lesonal paint factory (established 1858) was purchased and Astral (established 1855) was bought in France. Together with the Sikkens group, these three formed Akzo Coatings. The companies combined their many years of experience, which resulted in integration of production and distribution and a broadening and improvement of the offering.

We will not go into detail here about all of the new products and systems that Akzo Coatings developed for industry, in the field of car lacquers and for use by the off-shore, aviation and space travel industries, etc. If we limit ourselves to the novelties in the area of decorative coatings, there is already more to report than fits on this site. Let us first mention the arrival of the color mixing systems. This technique makes it possible to create an almost endless number of colors in no time without the need for additional expensive stocks, which means a more extensive range and less cost. Not only do the painters profit from this; the DIY market can also keep up with every fashion via the Flexa shopkeeper. The modern mixing systems are even faster and more precise than the 'old' ones thanks to computer technology.

The linked international research of Akzo Coatings started up an ongoing flow of new and improved products: Stronger transparent lacquers in the 'Filter 7' range, where small in-built mirrors prevent destructive UV radiation; Water-based paint systems and 'High Solids' that reduce the environmentally damaging emission of solvent substances; Interior paints that produce special effects, and Systems for hard wearing, decorative floor and wall finishing. The number of possibilities is so great that even the expert has to refer to the documentation. Fortunately Akzo Coatings has plenty of this. Do not, therefore, base your choice of paint on the experience of last year, last week or even yesterday. The world of color and paint, of protection and decoration changes by the day. There are always surprising possibilities.

From the seventies onward, Akzo Coatings continued to grow by building and purchasing factories in Western and Eastern Europe, in North and South America, in Asia and in Africa. In 1993 a merger was created with the Swedish corporation Nobel, which had specialized in lacquers and varnishes since 1871. The good things from the past were retained despite strong growth and the wide spread. The well known brand names were not thrown away. Sikkens lacquers, Flexa DIY paints, Cetabever stains, Alpha wall paints, they are still waiting ready for you, with tried and trusted quality and in the latest colors. Smaller factories were closed for reasons of efficiency and environmental care. This is why your stain no longer comes from Beverwijk and your wall paint does not come from Alphen aan den Rijn. The quality is guaranteed, however. AkzoNobel continues to feel very strongly about quality and service, just as Wiert Willem Sikkens did in 1792.

Finalized on January 2, 2008 AkzoNobel's purchase of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was the second largest acquisition ever by a Dutch company. The combination provides well developed access to fast-growing markets in Asia and Latin America and adds an experienced and skilled workforce, as well as boosting the company's portfolio with new technologies and household brands such as Dulux® and Glidden®.