Christeyns Celebrates 80 Years of Passion, Beyond Hygiene

This year we proudly celebrate Christeyns’ 80th anniversary: a milestone shaped by growth, learning and lasting relationships, made possible by the people who’ve been with us every step of the way.              

For 80 years, our greatest strength has been our people: colleagues who’ve shared their knowledge across generations, and who’ve built genuine, lasting relationships with the customers they serve.

“Our aim is to remain relevant in the years to come – for our people, by providing a place where they can develop; for our customers, by delivering solutions that offer genuine value. With that mindset, we look forward to continuing this journey together,” says Alain Bostoen, who shares more insights in a full interview.

From Local Roots to Global Presence         

Our story began in 1946, when Jules Robert Christeyns founded the company in Ghent as a producer of detergents for laundry businesses. From those local roots, Christeyns has grown into a global specialist in hygiene solutions — operating in more than 50 countries, with production sites across all continents and a team of over 1,800 employees worldwide.

Throughout it all, Christeyns has remained proudly family-owned. Leadership began with Albin De Vos, uncle to our current CEO Alain Bostoen. In 1989, the Bostoen family took over, guided by Alain’s father, the late Paul Bostoen, whose passion for the business lives on in everything we do today. Now, together with COO Jef Wittouck, Alain leads the company forward, with his sons Hector and Arthur Bostoen already actively shaping its future. A next generation carrying the story forward with the same dedication.

A Family Business Looking Ahead 

Over the decades, Christeyns has grown far beyond its roots: expanding into Food Hygiene, Medical, and Life Sciences, and forging long-term partnerships around the world. But what hasn’t changed is the spirit behind it all: a genuine commitment to people, to quality, and to doing things right.

To mark this anniversary, we’re sharing our 80-year journey through wishes from colleagues across the globe, key milestones, and interesting facts. We’d love for you to be part of this celebration. Learn more about our 80-year journey!