Three years ago the tally stood at minus, today his enamels grace the tables of Belgian design leaders Muller Van Severen as well as artworks by Kasper Bosmans. We had almost made "enamel" rhyme with "amai" from the get-go.
Enamel was booming business not that long ago. In the middle of the last century, Brussels had nine enamel shops; now Emaillerie Belge is the very last. "In the 1950s, Belgium was still a kind of Route 66, with big roadside signs everywhere, all in enamel," says Vincent Vanden Borre. Unfortunately: a law taxing roadside advertising plummeted the enamel business in 1954.
Today the competition is in low-wage countries. Although the producers there can also be counted on one hand. "Enamel is a product that lasts, which is why it is also used for kitchen counters or lavabos. This is completely different from what we are used to in today's consumer market. We give guarantees of 40 years. You don't find that for many other products. But you do notice some bouging. People today are looking for two things: the very latest iPhone, but also products with authenticity. Contradictory, but it's true."
"People today are looking for two things: the very latest iPhone, but also products with authenticity. Contradictory, but it's true."
And that's where Vincent saw his opportunity. "When I visited here the first time, I was so struck by the charm, the craft, the authenticity. So much heritage, it really shouldn't be lost. But at the same time, the company was about to close the books. When I went home, my head was spinning from all the possibilities I saw, the new markets we could tap into."
Along to the oven
And so this is how a person buys a factory, with all that goes with it. Vincent: "Some people had been working here for thirty-eight years. Their knowledge and loyalty impressed me. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I joined them at the oven. I just put myself next to them, not above them. That way I built my know-how and got to know the product inside and out, but I could also show that we were a team, that I was there to help."
Hands-on, then, that Vincent, but also quite courageous - or in love and thus a little dazzled? "Fortunately, I didn't know everything when I took over the company, otherwise I might not have done it. Financially, it was a sinking boat. Of the 160 employees there in the 1960s, there were five left when I took over. There was no active management left and the company was heavily in the red. Emaillerie Belge was basically a worn-out granny, and we revived it."
The conversion turned into a balancing act between tradition and innovation. The focus remained on quality, but the enameling business had to look for new customers. "I immediately started looking at new markets such as architecture, design and art. But at the same time, I rekindled the old advertising market." That helped plug the big financial hole again, although major costs quickly loomed again.
"We're just trying to bring a story through innovations that really interest people."
Marketing budget: 0 Euro
The studios moved to a new building in Forest in 2018. "Purchasing a building like that forces you to think. I then analyzed the entire production. Because we were now working for designers, we had to be able to produce objects in 3D, which are often larger volumes than traditional advertising panels."
"That's why we invested in a new kiln and spray booths. Today we are the only one in the world that can make 1800 colors of enamel - twice as many as the competition. Before, we were working with fifty-year-old material. Now our furnace heats up in one hour instead of twelve. That's a big investment, but it makes you a lot more cost-efficient."
And that's how you get crowned the most innovative enamelerie in Europe. "The goal was not only to put Emaillerie Belge back on the map, we wanted to make enamel a product again that people want to use every day." And we succeeded: "We are reinventing enamel. Without intending to, we have caused an earthquake within our industry."
The fact that what Emaillerie Belge makes ends up in design magazines straight from the kiln also helps. Just about everything the enamelerie produces gets immediate press coverage in Belgium and beyond. "However, we haven't spent a single euro on marketing. We just try to bring a story through innovations that really interest people."
Look there a new human being
To put a moribund company back on the international map in three years does not make you an owl on a strategic level (or it has to be one with a lot of chance). But Vincent had questions, and would rather have answers. "When I heard about Re-Treated, I didn't know what to expect. Turned out they really put you to work: you immediately apply the theory to your business, and an hour later you already get feedback from the participants. In terms of strategy, I was walking a bit askew. But now I'm walking dead straight."
"Re-Treated really puts you to work. You immediately apply the theory to your business, and an hour later you're already getting feedback from the participants."
Is that possible, getting rid of your doubts in two days? "I learned to look at Emaillerie Belge from a different angle during that weekend. You share experiences, ideas, you look at others without wanting to compare. During the sessions, it became clear to me that I was betting too much on digitalization and change management. In fact, I wanted to do everything: I was putting energy into CRM and ERP systems, when that was totally unnecessary. I realized that I needed to focus on my product and my customers. I was able to throw away the strategy full of holes I had. After two days, I came out with a full-fledged plan that I just needed to fine-tune. Genius, right? Now I know where I want to go in three, five or even ten years."
Shifting that focus from a quest for technological innovation to the product immediately solved a number of problems within the enameling industry. "Because of all this innovation drive, half of my guests basically didn't know what we were doing anymore. It had become too complex. So that ERP system isn't coming. That saves a lot of budget that I can now start investing in the right direction. I thought I had to have all those 'structurekes' perfect, but that's not true. You can still do a lot with an Excel."
So Vincent was happy to hand in Excel, but he still preferred to keep his 3G connection handy. "When I arrived, the organizers asked me to hand in my cell phone. Shit. I had read something about that in the briefing, but I hadn't taken it so literally. Anyway, an hour later I began to enjoy it immensely. Being unreachable gives you a certain peace of mind. So blissful! I never thought I could get all zen in my head in two days."
However brief, those two days of phoneless life had their impact. "If I used to get a call during a meeting, I would answer if it was important. Now I try to stay in the present. I'll call back an hour later. I've drawn that line. Exercising also helps. If I can't go running, I now do a few stretches in the morning and evening. I never used to do that, but Re-Treated convinced me of the need for some exercise. A little stretching and I feel 10% more positive vibe and healthy energy in my body." Bam!
Original article: Re-treated
