Fermob, the French metal furniture manufacturer wants to stay one step ahead. In 2024, Fermob expanded its brand territory while strengthening its commitment to eco-design. Bernard and Baptiste Reybier, at the head of the company, are behind the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the innovative Re-paint service.
2024 has been a landmark year for the pioneer of outdoor living… Interior design is now part of its ambitions, and the success of its lighting range, launched ten years ago, reinforces this direction. For the first time, the ‘Oto’ lamp won a Red Dot Design Award for an integrated design studio rather than an independent designer. New international operations have enhanced an already very active export business (50% of sales). Fermob equipped the gardens of the Villa Medici in Rome and opened its first showroom in Sydney, Australia. In the capital, Paris 2024 has launched an initiative to enhance the terraces and restaurants along the Champs-Élysées. The brand has dedicated an eponymous collection to this project. The launch of the ‘Parisienne 21’ seating, designed for restaurant professionals, was one of the highlights of the latest EquipHotel trade show. Fermob also stood out by strengthening the very structure of its group. After acquiring Vlaeminck in 2013 and Rodet in 2017, the company has now acquired Tiptoe, known since 2015 for its modular, colourful table legs in various sizes. ‘Acquisitions drive Fermob’s structured growth,’ explains Baptiste Reybier, its Managing Director.
A company with ironclad strength
The son, who has held no fewer than eight different positions within the company, has taken the helm, fully aware of the challenges ahead. ‘Baptiste was heavily involved in ensuring that Fermob joined the Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat (CEC) in the Lyon area in 2023,« Bernard Reybier points out. The group’s current chairman – who is also president of French Design by Via – has led its growth since 1989, transforming a small ironmongery workshop into an internationally renowned company. When he took over, France’s specialist metalworkers were closing down one after the other. The manager took up the challenge of maintaining production in the Ain region and modernising the company’s industrial facilities. Metal is our signature material,’ he explains. It’s part of our roots. It’s an ancestral and recyclable material. 75% of the aluminium produced since the end of the 19th century is still used today. That’s the common sense of the past ». More broadly, ‘a sense of responsibility and respect for the environment already existed thirty years ago’. Baptiste Reybier takes up the baton. The values we defend are our strengths’, he asserts. CSR is one of them. More than 130 initiatives are currently underway’.
Dismantlable, repairable, recyclable
Measuring impact is a key strategic priority. Fermob products do not take sustainability lightly! We have reduced water consumption per product by three and a half litres,’ explains the CEO. Steel has been lightened and we are exploring the use of recycled aluminium. Fermob also recycles 92% of its waste. In 2021, the brand carried out its first carbon audit, a compulsory step towards ‘becoming a generative company by 2035’. The creation of reparability indices (IREP) and recyclability indices (IRCY) in 2024 marks a new turning point. We’ve been thinking about this internally for several years,’ adds Bernard Reybier. We started compiling data at a time when there were still no regulations on our market. According to Reybier, the fact that 87% of our products are ‘easily repairable’ is no coincidence: « It’s the result of design work carried out at a very early stage. All our products can be dismantled and the parts needed for repairs are available on our production site’. The IRCY index, for its part, highlights the recyclability of 95% of the catalogue’s components. ‘These results reflect the brand’s commitments and the work carried out,’ notes Grégoire Gérard, co-founder of Eco-Impact. ‘These results are valuable in guiding consumers in their purchasing decisions. We work with around a hundred companies, most of which have fewer than ten employees. Fermob is not only the largest in terms of size but also the first major manufacturer to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for its products.’
The power of colour
Icy mint, black cherry, cedar green, abyss blue, gingerbread… A range of exclusive shades boldly colours steel and aluminium. Each collection introduces three new hues – Tonka, Maya blue, and candied orange in 2025! Fermob’s ‘zero waste’ paint line, in which the company has been investing since 1996, seamlessly blends technology and innovation. The finishes are created using 100% recyclable polyester powder paint, free of solvents and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The manufacturer has built a strong partnership with its long-standing supplier, Axalta. This collaboration continues with a new solution available to both private and professional customers. Re-paint offers an eco-friendly alternative to product replacement. Fermob’s custom paint renovation service took a year and a half to develop. It currently applies to 162 products in sixteen colours and is carried out by a network of over thirty powder coating specialists across France. Re-paint has been very well received and is set to expand beyond France. In Belgium and Switzerland, it is already possible to have your Fermob repainted.
Source: Home Fashion News Magazine – January 2025
