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Platform on sun and daylight control, shutters, patio covers and closures
Dutch investor OxGreenfield acquires the majority of shares in Brel Nederland BV (Brel). The company supplies motors and controls for the automatic operation of sun blinds. Solar shading makes an important contribution to reducing energy consumption in modern buildings and is therefore an essential element in making real estate more sustainable. Brel's strong market position and the innovative products it supplies to this growing market led OxGreenfield to make their fourth investment with this from their second fund.
Brel - based in Doetinchem - currently sells its products primarily in the Benelux. OxGreenfield sees many opportunities to sell these products also to foreign manufacturers of sun protection products. Moreover, in cooperation with Vodafone, Brel has developed an innovative new product, under the brand name "Brel Smart Building." This concerns a drive for blinds in combination with a solar panel, which makes installation a lot easier and cheaper because no wiring is needed. This drive will be equipped with a SIM card so that building managers and users can centrally control, monitor and service blinds via an online platform. This new product was recently successfully introduced at a leading sun protection trade fair and there is a lot of interest from major customers. With sales growing toward €20 million, Brel is the challenger to major market players, distinguished by the innovative nature of its products. The current shareholders of Brel, Reinoud Arts and Erik Budding, will retain a large stake in Brel and, as directors, will shape Brel's growth together with OxGreenfield.
The market for drives and controls for solar shading is experiencing growth due to the trend toward home automation, combined with the need (enforced by regulation) for energy savings in office buildings in particular. New regulations require building managers to reduce the CO2 footprint of buildings; solar shading makes a significant contribution. Scientific studies show that dynamic (automated) use of external solar shading can save 30% of cooling energy and 14% of heating energy.Due to climate change, these savings will only increase in the coming decades. Solar shading is one of the most efficient and cost effective methods for energy savings, it is therefore expected that more and more buildings will be equipped with automatically operating external solar shading. Preferably with the Brel Solar solutions, battery-powered motors with a solar panel. These require no separate power supply or wiring and are easy to install.
Brel Netherlands leads the way in development of automatic control of blinds
Brel has been active in the drive and control market for blinds since 2010. It is a company with about 15 employees where imported motors are combined with in-house produced adapters and software and controls developed in the Netherlands. The company has grown strongly in recent years and is a major player in the Benelux. The shareholders Reinoud Arts and Erik Budding are known in the market as pioneers, they bring time after time innovations to the market with which the sun protection industry develops further.
OxGreenfield invests in experience, expertise and dedication to create space for growth ambitions of entrepreneurs. Focusing on strengthening management, DGA succession, carve out, growth, scale up and turn around, the investor focuses primarily on industrial companies with a technically distinctive character. Together, OxGreenfield's partners represent an impressive track record. Each with their own expertise, together they go for the connection, the relationship and the results. The participation in Brel marks the fourth investment in the investment company's new fund.
