Voeders Van Simaey – Leroy
THE ABANDONED CATTLE FOOD FACTORY IN BELGIUM
This is the silo tower of the Van Simaey-Leroy cattle food company in Gavere. They were built in 1929 and abandoned almost 80 years later.
The structures represent a quintessential model of concrete silo architecture from the interwar period. This particular tower, with its 29 silos, ranks among the more sizable silo towers of that era. Constructed in 1930, these silos served ‘Van Simaey Broeders en Zuster’ by storing feed for their poultry farm. ‘Construction Industrielle’, a firm based in Aalst, was responsible for the construction of the factory. The tower was the central point of the site and the pride of the company. This iconic image was often used in corporate communication and publicity.
The factory’s location by the Scheldt river was optimal for innovative, improved, and more efficient grain supply methods. A railway track was constructed specifically for the factory, while new machinery and silos were put in place, and additional warehouses were erected.
Leroy
The animal feed industry was a significant sector in Gavere from the 1920s until the late 20th century. In 1970, the Van Simaey company was acquired by three brothers: Silvaan, Hugo, and Willy Leroy. They shifted production to pig and cattle feed. With modernization, the factory underwent extensive reconstruction and expansion.
Dobbels Quality
In 2000, Hugo Leroy sold his shares to Silvaan and Willy. By 2007, Silvaan had left the business, selling his shares to ‘Dobbels Quality’ from Pittem. The company, deemed outdated, was put up for sale in 2008, and its 18 employees were reassigned to other Dobbels factories.
The iconic tower is protected in 2012, the surrounding buildings were demolished in 2019, the tower is transformed into lofts. I visited this factory in 2017.
