In 1954 Joep Hoffmans sr. started building the foundation of what is now known as Yart Factory. Back then, the business was names “firma Joep Hoffmans” which provided shoe components to the shoe industry in Waalwijk. Techniques such as die cutting were very popular in the manufacturing process. When the 70s came along, haberdashery and leather goods were introduced to the collection of products. Knee and elbow patches were the main focus of the company. It was unique that one company produced such varied products.

In the early 80s the family business expanded their focus and changed the company name to “Pronty”  which also became the name for the new brand in the growing hobby industry. New machinery was added and thus increased the number of processing techniques and materials that were available to the production process.

Sister company Point to Paper, excellent paper laser cutting, was established in 2010. Spring 2020 Point to Paper merged with Yart Factory.  Click here for the press release.

A couple years ago the company changed its name from Pronty to Yart Factory.

The company carries brands as Point to Paper, Pronty haberdashery, Dutch Doobadoo, and Pronty Crafts and By Woom, however focuses on customer specific productions (bespoke), private labels and services.

A lot has changed ever since the founding of the company. Nevertheless our core remains the same: Using high-quality techniques in order to transform customers’ ideas into distinctive products.

1954 – 2021: 67 years old family company and still moving on: from Firma Joep Hoffmans to Joep Hoffmans BV to Pronty BV to Yart Factory

1954  Founded by the father of the current mt team member  Joep Hoffmans jr. as Firma Joep Hoffmans, the activities were initially concentrated on the shoe- and leather industries.

1975 – Firma Joep Hoffmans becomes Joep Hoffmans BV.

1978 – More and more haberdashery activities. Introduction of a unique material for the production of knee- and elbow patches: Souplesse.

1982 – Current managing-director Engineer Joep Hoffmans j.r. enters in employment of Joep Hoffmans BV, which means the starting point of new developments in the field of haberdashery and hobby.

1984 – Mark Hoffmans enters in employment of Joep Hoffmans BV, which means the starting point of many export activities. Also, a new warehouse is built.

1989 – The sons take over the shares and become the owner of Joep Hoffmans BV.

1994 – 40th Anniversary.

1996 – Joep Hoffmans BV moves the factory and offices to Industrieweg 58, Waalwijk.

1998 – Joep Hoffmans BV starts with the production of MDF Craft Articles.

2000 – Joep Hoffmans BV becomes Pronty BV. Through further expansion in the area of product development, marketing and information technology, Pronty has taken another major step forward. Only the company name changes. Pronty’s familiar customer-oriented approach itself does not change. In cooperation with our customers, we expand our range of services and products to mutual benefits.

2001 – First laser cutting machines.  Start stencil and template production.

2002 – New CNC routers.

2003 – A new warehouse and production space is being constructed. Further expansion of production to laser cutting and laser marking: Paintie, Paper Up, Victoria, Laser Art.

2004 – 50 years Pronty !!

2005 – Pronty expands its Laser cutting activities.

2006 – Due to our new Laser cutting and Laser marking machine we can now work with different materials like plywood, acrylic, cardboard, polyester, MDF, foam and many others.

2007 – Pronty expands its router activities, installing from 2 new routers.

2009 – Arrival of the world’s newest laser machine which can lasercut large sizes of paper. Start of Point to Paper. First introduction to the printing industry.

2010 – Pronty will move its offices and laser department to their new premises, industrieweg 60  , next to the existing buildings.

2012– Several new laser cutting machines.

2014 – 60 years Pronty!

2015 – Mark Hoffmans leaves Pronty in april. The current Management Team will continu Pronty with Joep Hoffmans as CEO.

2016- Receipt of our largest investment in machinery in our existence, a new fully automatic laser cutting machine with an amazing capacity and quality. First steps in the US.

2017 – Introduction brand Pronty Crafts

2018– Pronty B.V. renamed in Yart Factory B.V. Takeover of the sewing notions and haberdashery department  by Kleiber + Co. GmbH.

2020 – Introduction of lifestyle brand By Woom, merger of sister company Point to Paper BV with Yart Factory B.V.

2021 –Management buy-out, Jaap van de Wouw , who has been employed for more than 10 years, will take over the shares from Joep Hoffmans jr., Who will remain an active part of the management team. Continuity for the future!

2022 New investment in lasercutting machines.

2023 From 4. – 7.2. 2023 we will be back at the CREATIVEWORLD fair in Frankfurt. We are very much looking forward to this after3 years of cancellation of this fair due to corona.

2024 the 70th anniversary of Yart Factory group