Alva’s History
1949
Albert Vandaele established the company ALVA in 1949.
He had found a way to reuse discarded military equipment from World War II to create cast aluminium cooking pots. The pots with integrated handles were turned and sanded on both the inside and outside. Poorly cast pots were immediately melted and recast.
A disused flax barn and vacant weaving mill were converted into a refurbished workplace with offices, a toolmaking facility, foundry, sanding and polishing unit, assembly area, warehouse, loading site, and more.
The product range was gradually yet continuously expanded. In addition to deep and low cooking pots, Alva also produced soup kettles, deep fryers, milk pans, frying pans, basins, colanders, ladles, buckets, whistling kettles, coffee pots, and more.
Meticulous market research was conducted to develop innovative products like a ‘Full Speed’ filter (so that you only have to pour once) and ‘Super’ deep fryer that never boils over.
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1954
In 1954, Alva was asked to produce 25,000 whistling kettles for a customer.
Alva expanded once more and bought its first hydraulic press, an SMG 100 TON.
It was challenging for the company to make the necessary adaptations to reach cruising speed and be able to process larger orders more efficiently, but they succeeded. New challenges presented themselves and Alva rose to the occasion, facing them head on.
1970
Times change and new fads gain popularity.
Aluminium cookware faced fierce competition from stainless steel cookware. Alva evolved along with this trend and after much searching and testing, the first Alva stainless steel products hit the market. This development went hand in hand with the purchase of new materials and machines.
Alongside production and sales, the number of machines and staff members also increased correspondingly. The Belgian brand Alva was now a household name in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, England, and Denmark and, consequently, had become a European brand.
1983
On 29 March 1983, the Alva factory was almost completely destroyed by a devastating fire. The family business lost virtually everything as a result. Offices, machinery, products, warehouses… everything was lost to the flames.
That’s when the following legendary and optimistic words were spoken: “We’re starting over (again) and we’re not waiting until tomorrow. We start over today!”
In less than three months’ time, the newest Alva pot was rolling off the production line. Alva was once again providing its loyal customers with high-quality products – and even faster than before.
This translated literally into the qualities that exemplify Alva to this very day: solidity and reliability.
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1991
After having produced cookware for 40 years, Allinox was created in the early 1990s as a commercial entity for Alva. A few years later, Allinox was forced to relocate production abroad and set up a stainless steel factory in China, making Allinox a true cookware specialist with a variety of materials and delivery options.
Headquartered in Belgium, the family company Allinox manufactures, stocks, and distributes high-quality cookware around the entire world.
Courage, respect, and patience have always been the core values behind the Belgian company and the Alva brand. Albert Vandaele has passed these virtues on to his staff, his children, and his grandchildren, who are still active in the company today.