The story of Starline
A pioneer for more than half a century
1973. Valkenwaard. Two brothers. One technical and one commercial man. Together they joined forces in their common passion - building the most beautiful and best swimming pools. Until then, pool construction involved time-consuming and error-prone processes such as digging holes, pouring concrete and applying foil. They introduced a revolutionary concept: the Monoblock®, a high-quality one-piece vinylester pool, which marked a turning point in the pool world.
The founding by the de Nier brothers
The story of Starline began in 1973, when Tini de Nier started his own company. In 1979, his brother Frans de Nier joined the company. While Tini had extensive technical knowledge, Frans was an extremely commercial man. Together they had a common dream and passion; to build the most beautiful and best swimming pool. The seed for Starline was planted. Quality and innovation have been the common thread throughout the company from the beginning.
The start of a wholesale business
In 1985, swimming pool culture in the Netherlands and in the rest of Europe was quite underdeveloped. Building swimming pools required a lot of labour and the supply of materials in the Netherlands was limited. This made the de Nier brothers decide to import and resell prefab swimming pools, filter units, built-in parts and chemicals. This laid the foundation for a wholesale business that became Poolquip.
The rise of Roldeck®
A major milestone during this period was the development and production of the Roldeck®. A fully automatic slatted cover. The imported covers did not meet expectations and nowhere in the world was there a fully-fledged product to replace them. This left only one option: to develop and produce it ourselves. As a result, Roldeck® became a forerunner in the world of automatic, safe and energy-saving swimming pool covers. This innovation made Starline stand out within the industry and opened doors to the European market.
Moving to new premises
Even after a hefty expansion, the premises at 24 Vest became too small. In 1991, a piece of land further along the Vest was purchased and a brand new building was built. At the time, this became the largest swimming pool showroom in Europe: the Swimming Pool Infocentre, with several constructed swimming pools both indoors and outdoors. From this centrally located location, customers, both national and international, were informed and advised on swimming pools. That year also saw the first introduction of a one-piece polyester swimming pool.
Acquisition polyester factory Van Der Most
In 1992, the Van der Most polyester factory in Twello was acquired. At the time, it was already producing some plastic products such as polyester filters and element pools for Poolquip. This company continued under the name Starline Industries. This takeover gave Starline access to the polyester technology and total control over the production process.
Expansion into wellness
In 1993, Tini and Frans saw an increasing demand for wellness products and quickly responded by expanding the range with their own sauna line, infrared cabins and whirlpools. Sundance whirlpools were imported from America and sold under the name Starline. This resulted in great success, making the company a trendsetter in the wellness industry.
The creation of the Monoblock® pool
In 1996, Tini and Frans took a rigorous decision to stop importing polyester pools, despite the fact that sales were doing well. The quality simply did not meet their expectations. They therefore decided to develop, produce and sell a pool themselves under the brand name Starline. This resulted in the birth of the Starline Monoblock® Exclusive. An exclusive, unique and stylish pool that became a leader in the pool industry. The Monoblock® also excels in extra safety for children, by means of a safety edge, the Roldeck® and a safety lock. Since then, the Monoblock® has been sold exclusively through authorised Starline dealers.
Passing on the baton
Along with Tini and Frans, family members have always been actively committed to the Starline Group. Karin, a daughter of Tini managed the Starline Swimming Pool Infocentre for 20 years. This changed in 2008 when Tini took the difficult decision to pass on the baton. Although Tini and Karin were still working hard for Starline until early 2010, it was then the appropriate time to step back and focus on new things.
Opening of new high-tech production facility
In 2010, an important milestone was reached with the opening and commissioning of the new high-tech plant in Pelt. This state-of-the-art production facility was designed to meet the growing demand for high-quality composite swimming pools and products. With modern equipment and an efficient production process, the plant was able to supply world-class products to customers around the world. In 2011, the production of covers was also moved there. The production area totalled 65,000 m2. In the years since, the production process has been innovated and the company has had a strong focus on sustainability and responsible manufacturing.
Combining forces
Over the past decades, Starline has experienced several significant developments and acquisitions. In 2014, the acquisition of Ocea Belgium and Ocea UK strengthened Starline's position in pool covers and led to an increased presence in the European market. Later in 2019, the acquisition of Poly Products followed, strengthening its position in fibre-reinforced products in the Benelux. In 2021, Starline introduced the Sterck brand, a new line of polypropylene pools with flexible sizing. Finally, in 2022, the acquisition of Starline Group by CF Group marked a new phase in its growth, with strong synergies and market opportunities in German-speaking markets.
“Starline, continuously in the world of swimming pools for fifty years. Doesn't that basically say enough? ”
Victor de Vries, Director Starline Group
Choose for reliability
With fifty years of pool knowledge and expertise, Starline is the leading pool specialist in Europe. Choose reliability and top quality. Experience it for yourself and request a quote directly or find a dealer near you.