Trade and industry

From the Middle Ages, Helmond was an active centre of trade and industry. The textile industry developed at a rapid pace, after granted city rights around 1232. Later on, also the metal industry flourished in the city.

Zuid-Willemsvaart

King Willem I took the initiative for the construction of the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. This waterway, which was first used in 1829, gave an enormous boost to the industrialisation of the city; Helmond became a major centre of industry.

A growth city

In the nineteen sixties and seventies, the metal and textile industries were experiencing a period of stagnation. To grow out of these problems, in the literal meaning of the word, Helmond was designated a growth city in 1976. Growth on all fronts, both qualitative and quantitative, provided the turning point. Helmond was renewed and became the modern hub municipality it is today.