Former Sugar Factory St. Antoine - Oud Gastel

The St. Antoine sugar factory is named after Antonius of Padua, a saint who is invoked in case of lost objects or lost causes. This name is appropriate because even before this sugar factory was operational, the company Hoendervangers & Co went bankrupt. Charlotte Storm-Cuijpers, a scion of a wealthy family with roots in Oudenbosch, took over the complex. The factory became operational in 1873 with the name St. Antoine and was run by J.F. Vlekke from 1892.

With the establishment of the cooperative factory in Dinteloord and two more cooperative factories in the area, competition became increasingly fierce in the years that followed. To counterforce this, private owners of sugar factories in the area united to form the Central Sugar Company in 1919. It was soon decided to close a number of smaller and outdated factories. The following year, St Antoine was closed. The machines later found their way to England. The complex changed hands several times and has recently been listed as a national monument.