Screen fabric manufacturers centralize sales and logistics

Last year, the Mermet brand introduced a completely new collection of fabrics for indoor blinds, bringing together the extensive expertise of Helioscreen, Copaco, Mermet and Screen Protectors. This was only a first phase within this cooperation, because from now on, sales and logistics of the weaves will be centralized within Mermet Europe BV. Only production remains separate. In this way, life is made easier for customers, because now they have only one contact for all fabrics.

At the beginning of last year, the Hunter Douglas management decided to combine the know-how and experience built up over many years by the Belgian specialists Helioscreen and Copaco, the French Mermet and the Spanish distributor Screen Protectors within the Mermet brand. A completely new collection of fabrics for indoor blinds was successfully launched at R+T. 

John Risman, CEO of Hunter Douglas Europe, stated at the time, "Under this new brand name, we are bringing together the screen fabric manufacturers within our group to offer customers even more added value. After all, in this way we can link expertise, make the product portfolio unified and clearly identifiable, optimize production and distribution, and pool available R&D and marketing resources."

One point of contact for all tissues

Indeed, this collection represented only a first step in the collaboration. Until now, customers continued to order the various fabrics from the respective manufacturers. This will now change, as sales and logistics will be centralized within Mermet Europe BV. 

"We want to make our customers' lives easier and further optimize support. Of course, this is done in several phases, initially standardizing the software at the various sites. As of February, invoicing for Helioscreen will be under Mermet Europe BV, followed by Copaco and Mermet France in March. Subsequently, customers will have a single point of contact for all brand fabrics," explains product & communication manager Ann Van Neer. 

"Changes are also coming in terms of logistics. Deliveries are now still made from the weaving mills individually, but we invested in a new 8,000 m² central warehouse in Bavikhove (Belgium). From March, this will become the new hub for all deliveries, except for customers in Spain, Italy and Portugal, who are supplied from the distribution center of Screen Protectors (Igualada). Only production will remain separate in the various modern facilities in Belgium (Lokeren and Bavikhove) and France (Les Avenières Veyrins-Thuellin)."