We can summarise the reaction of CSO Pieter-Jan Dendooven briefly and succinctly: This was the best edition of Bau every for Lamett; it easily exceeded all expectations.

Pieter-Jan Dendooven says: ‘It was all hands on deck every day, and not only during the show, but also before and certainly after it. We’ve taken part in BAU on several occasions, but our stand was always in a less favourable location in hall 5. This time, we booked a central place in hall 6 and that clearly paid dividends. By having a stand near to major complementary players, we created a synergy which gave us an excellent opportunity to present our new branding and products. Moreover, we regarded BAU as a milestone in the creation of our new tools such as the brochure and the web site.’

Stand with diverse zones
Lamett has a reputation to preserve for attractive trade fair stands. This time, too, they had clearly invested in the design of the stand, where visitors could discover Lamett in four zones. The Stelvio collection was on display in the Wood & Stone zone. Attention was also focused on the Nakuru collection, which we’ve introduced in a previous edition. Obviously, the parquet collections just had to be there, and the stand also had plenty of space for visitors to enjoy a chat and a drink.

The Lamett CSO explains: ‘Wood & Stone, an oak veneer floor with SPC base, proved a real highlight. It combines a 1mm real wood top layer with an easy-to-fit 7mm click floor, ideal for renovation and fully waterproof. The rustic veneer top layer with matt varnish and visible gnarls yields an authentic look. The “Stelvio” collection was created under Wood & Stone and comprises four modern colours.’

‘Furthermore, there was a great deal of interest in our new Nakuru collection, and that was not surprising since acoustics have become an important building element. This product is the only SPC floor on the market which manages without a subfloor to comply with 21dB ΔLw/10 dB Δllin with regard to transition sound, and also guarantees a reflection sound reduction of no less than 81%. The innovative vinyl planks consist of layers of different materials which block out a different sound frequency in each case. The stand also offered an experience corner where visitors could experience the acoustic effectiveness for themselves.’

BAU had a much more international feel.
As we continue to ask about their general impression of the show, Pieter-Jan Dendooven replies with great enthusiasm: ‘This was certainly our best BAU ever; not only as regards visitor frequency, but also as regards the reactions and character of fellow exhibitors. In the past, we’d always felt that BAU was more of a national show, whereas this time just about all the big international players were there. We saw people from all corners of Europe and far beyond. It’s clear to me that BAU will only continue to grow in importance in the future and we’ll most certainly be there in 2025!’

April was recruitment month.
During the discussion, it became clear that Lamett is still highly ambitious. In the international field no fewer than three new people have joined the team during the month of April. The most notable appointment is Berry Veldmans, who started work at the end of April as commercial manager for the Netherlands. Mr Veldmans was formerly commercial manager for the

Netherlands for Quick-Step.
Pieter-Jan Dendooven says: ‘The recruitment of Berry illustrates the height of our ambitions. With Berry in our ranks, our turnover in the Netherlands should get a strong boost and our dealer network will expand considerably, both for our parquet floors and for the PVC flooring brand Parquetvinyl.’

‘Berry isn’t the only new face. We’ve also added to the team on the French and Polish markets. We’ve recruited an extra sales manager on both markets, so we now have six team members for France. The fact that we’ve also recruited someone for Poland shouldn’t surprise anyone. Along with France and the Netherlands, it’s also high on our list of priorities. The rapid growth we’ve achieved there in the last two years seems merely a foretaste of the real work to come. Then, there’s Germany and the UK.’

Finally, we hear that the new workers are certainly not the end of the recruitment. Lots of new people could still be added to the team this year. Indeed, there are still some unfilled vacancies in various countries, especially for sales staff.’

Pieter-Jan Dendooven rounds off: ‘It should be clear that we’re still focusing on further organic growth. The re-branding, too, is anything but the finishing line. On the contrary, it’s the start of a story in which we continue to improve ourselves and create chances to provide steady growth in all directions. We’re ready for it!’