But those in charge of Emaillerie Belge believe in its appeal to new markets such as design or architecture.
Enamel sheets laid on the ground, boxes unpacked, premises under construction. The Emaillerie Belge arrives at its new headquarters in Forest, opposite the Audi Brussels plant, at the beginning of January and prepares for a new life.
A team of Italian workers busy installing a brand new electric furnace purchased in La Botte symbolizes in itself the relaunch that this nearly hundred-year-old Brussels company is about to experience.
"In two months we have moved and reorganized everything. By the end of February at the latest, we will restart operations and normal production should resume in early March," said Vincent Vanden Borre, general manager of the enameling plant.
His arrival at the head of this company is the answer to a crush. "It was early 2016. The former owner (Benoît d'Ydewalle, editor's note) was planning to close the business, due to the continued weakening of sales for two years. Demand continued to decline, there was no more customer follow-up," says Vincent Vanden Borre.
The announced demise of the enameling factory reached the ears of Tanguy Van Quickenborne. This Flemish entrepreneur, owner of the company Van den Weghe, based in Zulte and specializing in natural stone, did not hesitate long: in February he went to Emaillerie Belge and on June 17 he bought the company, the management of which he entrusted to Vincent Vanden Borre.
"Today we also offer enameling on cast iron, on copper and even on natural stone."
Coming from events in the architectural sector, this young thirty-something does not hide his enthusiasm for this flagship of Brussels craftsmanship. "I was immediately seduced by the project and by the company," he says.
For him, the relaunch of Belgian Enamelrie means reviving a company with a long history.
Emaillerie Belge, founded in 1921, is in fact the oldest craft enameling factory in Europe. At the time, enamel, known since ancient times (the Egyptians and Romans used it to decorate art objects), was experiencing an industrial boom: everyday objects were enameled for functional reasons. This material, consisting of ground glass flakes mixed with a binder and a pigment and then sprayed onto a metal backing and melted in a furnace at 830°, is fireproof, washable, hard, resistant, durable and unchangeable.
"Within two months we have moved and reorganized everything. By the end of February at the latest, we will restart operations and normal production should resume in early March."
The 1920s and 1930s marked the golden age of the enamel plaque. Companies saw it as an excellent promotional vector for their logo or an iconic character. The large 1924 Cigares Régal plaque, placed in the temporary office of Vincent Vanden Borre, testifies to the vitality and creativity of the enamellers of the time.
Enamels are increasing in Belgium, especially in Brussels and around Gosselies.
The 1960s marked the end of the dominance of enamel plates in the advertising world, which gradually favored synthetic materials and illuminated signs. Enamel works then disappeared one by one.
"Initially we planned to rent a space at Tour & Taxis, but it didn't work out as we had hoped. Then we started looking for another location and ended up with this workshop that used to house a postcard printing company. We decided to buy it."
Enameling company Koekelberg, Foremail à Forest, VanDurme-Michiels, Enameling company Brussels, Enameling company Ancre, Enameling company Crahait, Enameling company Leclercq: they are all gone today.
All but one. Belgian enameling is finding new outlets: decorative plates (reproduction of comic books, merchandising) and signage - street and metro station signs, city maps, etc.
The company, then based in Molenbeek, near West Station, gradually built a reputation that reached beyond its borders. It won government contracts in France, Ireland, Germany and Hong Kong.
But that's where globalization takes place. The enamel factory, which employed up to 138 people in the 1950s, is increasingly struggling to find outlets. Benoît d'Ydewalle, who bought Émailrie Belge in 1992, released
eventually taken. In June 2016, he sold the company to Tanguy Van Quickenborne and Vincent Vanden Borre.
An immediate problem: moving
The latter, responsible for operational management, is soon faced with an immediately solvable problem.
"The buildings in Molenbeek had been sold before the acquisition, so we knew we had to move quickly. Initially we planned to rent a space at Tour & Taxis, but it didn't work out as we had hoped. We then started looking for another site and eventually came across this studio, which used to house a postcard printing company. We decided to buy it," explains Vincent Vanden Borre.
"At the time of the acquisition, the company only offered enameling on sheet metal. Today, we also offer enameling on cast iron, on copper and even on natural stone. We are also in the process of creating new colors."
Now it is time for the relaunch. "At the time of the acquisition, the company only offered enameling on sheet metal. Today it also offers enameling on cast iron, on copper and even on natural stone. We are also creating new colors. And we are pivoting to new markets: architecture, design and art," underlines the boss of Emaillerie Belge.
Which also focuses on the quality of its product. "There are enamel factories in Germany, Spain, France, Poland and the Czech Republic. But I dare say that with our own, more resistant base enamel formulations, we can offer the best quality in Europe, if not in the world."
Little by little, the pump is restarting. Turnover, which had fallen to 400,000 euros in 2016, already rose to 600,000 euros in 2017, 25% of which was achieved in the niches of architecture and design. "For this year, we are aiming for 900,000 euros. The goal is to double turnover within two years. So in 2019 it should reach 1.2 million euros."
If the result is balanced, production optimization should also allow profits to come in. In particular, this optimization will concern the new oven, which will minimize energy losses. "The small gas oven took 6 to 8 hours to reach temperature, and the large one up to 12 hours. The new electric oven, purchased in Italy, needs only an hour and a half to heat up," Vincent Vanden Borre underlines.
"The small gas oven took six to eight hours to get up to temperature, and the big one took up to 12 hours. The new electric oven, bought in Italy, takes only an hour and a half to heat up."
According to him, the doubling of sales should be able to be absorbed with the current team of 10 people, five of whom are for production. "To compete, we will have to develop further," he adds.
A resurgence in sales will also require greater awareness. "Enamel is a wonderful material, but it is a product that, if not forgotten, is still associated with a somewhat outdated image," says Vincent Vanden Borre.
To this end, Emaillerie Belge is increasing its presence at exhibitions and fairs such as the Valérie Traan gallery in Antwerp, Salone del Mobile in Milan (in April) or the Kortrijk Biennale (in September).
Original article: l'Echo
