Nothing You Can’t Fix: What We Learned from our visit to European Aerosols Factory Tour in Wolvega (Netherlands)

When we begin working with a new client, we don’t start with a product list or a price file.

We start with their story.

Building the Story

We take the time to understand what our clients do, but more importantly, how and why they do it.

• How did they start?

• What challenges shaped them?

• Where have they shown resilience?

• What capability and capacity do they truly have?

  
  

A factory visit tells you more than a presentation or a spreadsheet ever can. Walking the production floor in Wolvega, it was clear that this is not simply a brand business — it is an operationally disciplined assembly and filling operation running at serious scale.

The factory is effectively an advanced assembly and spray can filling facility.

• 95% of components are put together on site.

• The plant operates at 65% capacity, running 24/7, 360 days a year.

• Every can is smell-tested during production to detect leaks — a process that historically relied on human observation of bubbles under water!

  
  

That level of operational control tells a story about capability.

Culture

You can read culture in the layout of a factory, the discipline of production, and the pride in the employees and attention to detail.

The factory, assembly, storage areas were spotless, you could almost eat your lunch off it.  Employees were also spotless, sociable, aware.  The environment felt warm and friendly.

EA operates in some 33 countries, with factories in Wolvega (Netherlands), Hasmersheim and Schwerte (Germany), Tarragona (Spain), with the Netherlands representing its largest turnover.  Their brand portfolio consists of MOTIP, DUPLI-COLOR, Presto, PlastiKote, ColorMatic, ColorMark, PintyPlus, Aerow, Distein. They are well established in automotive, DIY and industry markets while agriculture and motorbike segments are catching up.  They have been in business since 1946 and have over 1000 employees, 150m aerosols per year and 500,000 shipments! 

Celebration & Legacy

This year 2026 marks:

• 80 years of the company

• 60 years of MOTIP brand

• 70th birthday of the owner and second generation Jurg Volgelsang.

Founding father Kurt Volgelsang. Legacy matters and it is a really exciting year for European Aerosols and we are so excited to be part of this journey. 

“Nothing you can’t fix.” *MOTIP

The ambition is to give end users the confidence to do it themselves.

Understanding the Product

We had a fabulous time with Yan and Casper in the product testing and development department.

Spray paint is often misunderstood. When we are younger we are given a paint brush not a spray can so not surprised.  It was great to grab a can and have a go!

Some fun facts:- 

For water-based products, a pH-raising additive is added to prevent internal rusting of the can (who knew right!) We love these little interesting pieces of information! For some products they use an internal lacquer lining, although this can significantly increase cost.

Sizes & Formats

• 400ml is most popular in the UK

• 500ml dominates in Europe

  
  

The UK often uses a “straight” can for cost efficiency and child-proofing.  “Necked in” cans are easier to open.

Did you know what the ball bearing was for inside the can? We thought it was to mix the paint!  We were wrong ha ha

It’s not technically required for mixing the liquids. It:

• Signals to the user that mixing is happening

• And it builds confidence in the user that it has actually mixed.

• The paint will mix itself without it.

  
  

Those tiny balls weigh about 2g which is negligible per can but a significant weight at scale across millions of units.

Market Observations so far…

• In the UK, ¾ of decorative spray usage is driven by home renovation trends.

• Influencer activity is shaping behaviour (one influencer used four cans to spray two sides of an internal door).

• Spray is perceived as faster and more accessible for beginners.

• There is a growing trend — particularly among younger consumers — to spray walls rather than use brushes.

• Products like Twist & Spray aim to simplify entry for beginners.

• Customers spraying rental cars before returning them to hide any scratches!

• Cost of living crisis more customers doing touch ups themselves rather than outsourcing.

  
  

So where to we go from here…it’s the Daley Hub’s 4 D’s

Nothing you can’t fix.

We see so many opportunities for these brands in the UK.  We hope you follow our journey. 

With an ambition to produce even more sprays cans in a responsible and sustainable way, when a business truly understands its story — and aligns product, culture, retail, and communication — there really is nothing you can’t fix.