Beeswax for furniture, for leather, for antiques, for tiles. Wiertz Bijenwas in Geleen produces it all and fills almost 100,000 jars and bottles with a tiny team. A company with unique, innovative products that outperforms almost all Dutch competition.

Nico Wiertz started his own company in 1986. His father used to have a drugstore, where youngest son Nico started doing holiday work. Filling, labelling, packing. “My father also had the old-fashioned training, which meant that he made almost all the products himself. This also applies to beeswax for polishing furniture.”

Environmental requirements

The recipe is still top secret. His father had developed a semi-liquid beeswax as a counterpart to the stiff and hard floor wax. “I still use the same basic recipe, only now in the most sustainable way that meets all environmental requirements.” That's why you won't see any warning signs or hazard icons on a jar of Wiertz Beeswax. Almost all competitors have completely ignored beeswax and are focusing more on chemical products. “We do not use any harmful substances, no turpentine for example. That is not easy and is almost a craft. Malicious companies in the Netherlands and Germany have already tried to copy our products three times. “Fortunately without success,” laughs Nico.

Ecowas

His wife Tracy has an administrative company and together they are located in an industrial building on Krawinkel. The Western Mining Region is a must for Wiertz Beeswax. “In no other region of Limburg are you like Belgium or Germany. I drive to Switzerland twice a year and it feels like it is in my backyard.” In the Netherlands there are almost no competitors left in the production of beeswax. And in Europe they are rare. In the meantime, Wiertz continues to develop happily and is working on 100% eco-wax. This could even be used to treat plates and cutlery. “Sustainability is not only about saving, but also about choosing pure products. I buy pure beeswax from wholesalers. I receive that in blocks. About 2,500 kilos per year. We use this to make our products and fill them to order. We supply to the 5 largest drugstore wholesalers in the Netherlands and also to wholesalers that supply smaller shops in villages. We also have customers in Switzerland and Germany, where our products are sold under private label.”