Adrien Corthouts has been running the family company Recor Group for several years, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary at this year's Furniture Fair in Brussels. In 1949, his grandfather René Corthouts started producing mattresses in a small workshop in Hasselt. René expanded the company and started producing salons in 1960. But his ambition didn't stop there either. Nine years later, he set up a furniture factory. In the 1980s, Adrien's father, Philippe Corthouts, joined the company and steered it through the difficult years of the oil crisis. Under his leadership, the company achieved tremendous growth in the 1990s.
Today, 75 years later, Adrien Corthouts looks to the future with confidence. He is fully engaged in a strategic repositioning of the company, with both organic growth of traditional brands and strategic collaborations with external brands providing a new face.
<<<<< CEO Adrien Corthouts of Recor Group. He is the fourth generation of the family business."How Recor Group is structured?", Adrien repeats the question put to him. "Above the group is a holding company with a diverse portfolio of commercial and manufacturing companies. We have our traditional brands Recor Seating, Recor Bedding and Sofabed. Last year, with the acquisition of Varam, we re-launched Belform as our fourth brand.
We also have strategic collaborations with Gealux and Passe Partout. We have been participating in Passe Partout since its early years. We also recently took a minority stake in Dutch company Gealux. Dirk Steenbeke of Passe Partout and Rien Vermeulen of Gealux are the driving forces behind these successful companies and continue to pursue their independent course."
Gealux
The cooperation with Gealux is going well. Adrien works closely with Rien Vermeulen, who, as owner and founder of Gealux, manages the company and product development. He remains at the helm, together with his wife Cristina, who is responsible for production. For Gealux's existing customers in the home market, nothing will change. "My focus is mainly on the commercialisation of Gealux in the German and French-speaking markets. That is where I think there are still great opportunities for Gealux and that is where I can add value with my experience in international sales."
Partly because of this, Adrien can be found at the head office in Culemborg 1-2 days a week.
Passe Partout
Passe Partout is the brainchild of Dirk Steenbeke, the founder and driving force behind the interior design label. Although Recor Group has been involved with Passe Partout from the beginning, Dirk follows his own vision and with great success. "We are in regular contact, both over the phone and in person," Adrien explains. "We share knowledge and experience, give each other advice and encourage each other to keep getting better. But we each make our own decisions when it comes to our brands."
Varam (now Belform)
Recor Group fully acquired Alex Vanraes' sector partner Varam at the end of last year. The collaboration is going very well. "We have leveraged his knowledge to re-launch the Belform brand. We see each other as strategic partners," Adrien said.
Belform targets young, active families. Belform sofas are robust, comfortable and offer smart features, such as storage space, perfect for busy households with children and pets. "We see a lot of potential in Belform in the Dutch, Belgian and French markets," he said.
Traditional brands
In addition to Belform, the group's traditional brands include Recor Seating, Recor Bedding and Sofabed. "Recor Seating brings premium seating with comfort features. At Recor Bedding, the focus is on high-quality sleeping comfort and at Sofabed, we bring together our expertise of seating and sleeping comfort," Adrien explains.
Will you all be together again in Hall 4 during Brussels Fair?
"Last year we were together in Hall 4 with our own commercial brands, Passe Partout and Gealux. Gealux is moving back to its familiar spot in the patio at Holland à la Carte. Passe Partout, Recor Seating, Belform, Recor Bedding and Sofabed will remain in hall 4."
Future
"Recor Group continues to distinguish itself through customer focus and service, with a clear focus on the long term. We will continue to invest in our brands and production capacity. We exploit synergies between the companies to the maximum, without compromising the individuality of the brands. Each brand has its own identity and plan of action." But setting up a strong forward-looking company sometimes requires taking tough decisions. Each entity must be able to stand on its own feet, with healthy profitability," Adrien explains. "Should a particular business unit not function well, we intervene immediately. We don't let anything run its course."
This vision, combined with strategic investments, has so far successfully guided the company through several challenges. Adrien Corthouts therefore looks to the future with confidence. "If you do good work, you will be rewarded for it. We will continue to invest in innovation and growth. On to the next 75 years!"
Recor Group
Melbergstraat 6
3600 Genk
www.recor.be
www.sofa-bed.be
www.recorbedding.com
www.gealux.nl
www.belform.be