Hunter Douglas is now developing, manufacturing, and distributing all its screen fabrics in Europe under one brand: the completely rebranded Mermet. The decades of expertise built up by Belgian companies Helioscreen and Copaco, French Mermet, and Spanish distributor Screen Protectors are unified into one collection. The production and logistics facilities in Belgium, France, and Spain are joining forces.
'This is a statement to the market,' says John Risman, CEO of Hunter Douglas Europe. 'By pooling our knowledge, we are more than ever the reference when it comes to screen fabrics.' Hunter Douglas is investing 20 million euros in the brand.
Now more than ever, the renewed and strengthened Mermet guarantees an endless range of solutions with one ultimate goal: to create as much comfort as possible at all levels, by developing high-quality sun shading fabrics that provide thermal and optical comfort and optimise energy consumption. These fabrics are durable and easy to maintain.
The name Mermet is retained as the European umbrella brand name. This decision was made after extensive market research on brand recognition, due to the strong brand value in Europe, but also on other continents. However, the brand has been given a completely new design, thereby Hunter Douglas underlines its ambitions even more.
The starting point of the renewed Mermet is not coincidental: The original screen fabric. Since 1951, the passionate team of experts - united under the renewed brand - are on a joint mission. Central to this is the desire to contribute to the creation of soothing, intimate, and calm places to work and live. Joining forces means stepping up a gear to give that ambition a boost.
Ambition and investments
'Bringing together all collections fits with Hunter Douglas's growth ambitions,' says John Risman, CEO of Hunter Douglas Europe. 'By making the product portfolio unambiguous and clearly recognisable, optimising production and distribution, bundling marketing and R&D resources, and linking all knowledge and expertise to each other, Mermet wants to take customer satisfaction to a higher level. We achieve this in part by making it easier and clearer for customers.'
With a solid push from its majority shareholder 3G, Hunter Douglas is investing 20 million euros in the company under the renewed brand name Mermet. This includes investments in a new central warehouse in Bavikhove (Belgium) of 8000 square meters, new software, and new production lines (to optimise and increase production) in the various production facilities in Belgium and France.
Grand premiere @ R+T
The brand-new Mermet collection of indoor sun shading fabrics will be presented for the first time at the R+T fair in Stuttgart on February 19. By the end of 2024, and at the latest at the beginning of 2025, a completely new collection for outdoor sun shading fabrics will also be launched under the brand name Mermet. Insect screens will continue to be sold under the brand name Copaco.
The fabrics of the renewed Mermet will be produced and distributed from and at sites in Belgium (Bavikhove and Lokeren) and France (Les Avenières Veyrins-Thuellin). The Spanish Mataró (Barcelona) will become an additional distribution center for the renewed brand Mermet.
CEO François Lacquemanne
François Lacquemanne will take the lead as CEO of the renewed Mermet. With more than 35 years of experience in technical textiles and business development - at companies like Porcher Industries, Protection One, and Saint Gobain Adfors/Vetrotex - he was appointed General Manager at the French manufacturer of sun shading fabrics in late 2009. Mermet was taken over by Hunter Douglas four years earlier (in 2005), which had already taken over the Belgian Helioscreen in 1997. Copaco joined the group in 2019.
François Lacquemanne will lead a rotating management team, with diverse expertise and representatives from the branches in the three different countries. He is assisted by Luc Janvier, who started his career in 1992 as Sales Manager at Helioscreen and is currently Managing Director at Helioscreen and Copaco. With broad knowledge of the business and an extensive network, Luc is the ideal person to establish a uniform portfolio and bundle the expertise within the different business units.
In the future, a total of about 450 employees will be active for the renewed brand Mermet, more than half (250) of which in the Belgian branches. The total turnover of the four companies together was more than 100 million euros in 2023.
For more information:
Mermet
www.mermet.eu.com