Dear all,
We were thrilled to announce remarkable news today. News, that makes us incredibly proud. From this morning, we are officially one powerful team. You, the people from Copaco, from Helioscreen, from Mermet, and from Screenprotectors have become the joined force behind one brand: the renewed Mermet.
Through extensive market research, we’ve chosen the name Mermet as our umbrella brand, uniting Hunter Douglas’ European sunscreen fabrics manufacturers. But this isn't the Mermet of the past; it’s the dawn of a new era. To emphasize this, a specialized branding agency has crafted an entirely new brand for us. A brand set to make waves in the market, leaving a lasting mark.
Why? Because when we combine our collective wisdom and expertise, we become unparalleled larger, smarter, and simply the best. Our production and logistics capabilities in Belgium, France, and Spain will now stand shoulder to shoulder. It aligns perfectly with Hunter Douglas’ bold ambition: to become the fastest-growing, most (be)loved, and most efficient window coverings company globally.
We aim to make it easier and clearer for our customers: optimising production and distribution, aligning our product portfolio, combining marketing and R&D resources, all this to heighten customer satisfaction.
Empowered by our majority shareholder 3G, Hunter Douglas is investing a substantial 20 million euros in the renewed brand: new software and production lines in our facilities in Belgium and France - aimed at optimising and increasing production - and a cutting-edge central warehouse in Belgian Bavikhove spanning 8000 square meters.
Our plan is growth. Together we will conquer, as one cohesive team of 450 colleagues. We’ve entrusted François Lacquemanne to lead, supported by Luc Janvier. They will lead you, our rotating management team, our brand-new brand, towards new horizons.
Together we are the brains and hands behind the renewed Mermet. In addition, we are also the most important ambassadors. Let’s radiate this together. We can be proud. It may not always be in our nature, but we want to show that pride. So do not hesitate, and show the brand-new Mermet everywhere you can. Our brand story is a very strong one.
More than ever, the renewed and reinforced Mermet is creating infinite solutions with an ultimate goal: to create the utmost comfort at every level, by developing qualitative sunscreen fabrics that provide thermal and optical comfort and optimise energy consumption. Long lasting and easy to maintain.
We create sunscreen fabrics for people, not for buildings. And we are the best at it. As market leaders, as pioneers. Now and in the future. The baseline of our renewed Mermet is therefore no coincidence: the original sunscreen fabric.
Let’s do this together!
Supports visuels
Enjoy the new brand experience and download the new desktop backgrounds.
Questions & Answers on the New Brand Launch
Why was the decision made to merge the four brands?
Bringing all collections together into one fits Hunter Douglas’ ambition to become the fastest growing, most loved, and most efficient window coverings company in the world. By aligning the product portfolio, optimising production and distribution, pooling marketing and R&D resources, linking all knowledge and expertise, Mermet wants to elevate customer satisfaction, also by making it easier and clearer for them.
When we look at the market, we face some strong international competitors and needed to join forces to become stronger, more efficient, more “readable” and be able to put more means on the table to strengthen our positions.
Why was the name Mermet chosen?
The name Mermet was retained as the European umbrella brand name after extensive market research
around brand awareness because of its strong brand equity in Europe, as well as in other continents.
However, the brand received a complete redesign, underscoring its ambitions.
Why is this decision being made now?
It is our response to increasing competition within the European market. We want to bring clarity to our customers. Today the collections are fragmented, we now want to go to market with one story as a clear statement and additional means and power to strengthen our position
The baseline of the renewed Mermet is no coincidence: the original sunscreen fabric. Since 1951, the passionate team of all experts, united under the renewed brand, is on mission to help create peaceful, intimate, and calm places to work and live in. Joining forces will now shift up another gear to empower that ambition.
Will any brands disappear in the future?
The brand name Copaco will be kept as a brand of Insectscreens. Helioscreen will remain as a B2B-brand with fully finished products (=blinds) in sun protection on the Belgian project market. The Screen Protectors company name will disappear in near future.
All communication on textiles will be done under Mermet in the future. Starting with the brand-new Mermet collection of interior screen fabrics that will be presented for the first time at the R+T fair in Stuttgart, starting Feb. 19. As of mid-February, interior screens will go through life under the renewed brand, including packaging, catalogues, etc.
By the end of 2024, at the latest beginning 2025, a completely new collection for exterior screen fabrics will also be launched under the brand name Mermet. Until then, everything from exterior screens will be sold under the existing Copaco, Helioscreen and Mermet brand names. Once the new, unified collection is a fact, all exterior screens will also be sold under the renewed Mermet brand.
How will customers / stakeholders / partners be informed and when?
Now that everyone has been informed internally, communication to our customers will follow from today (30/1). Everything has been prepared by a professional communications agency. We have prepared a direct communication by mail to all our stakeholders. There will also be communication to the professional media via a press release, which has been sent out after everyone has been informed internally.
photo gallery
Relive the event and discover the photos taken at the 4 companies for the internal launch of our new brand.
