_______________________________________________________________________________________________ Gerflor
| Gradus
k and thin
An international market-leading interior contract solutions provider, Gradus is renowned for its wide product range including stair edgings, floor trims, commercial carpet, wall protection, barrier matting systems, and specialist LED lighting. Additionally, the company offers a project management and installation service for these products. Steve Watt, Group Managing Director, provides an overview of Gradus’ journey in the industry.
“ I joined the company 28 years ago, when one of our largest customers had just acquired it. As a result, we became owned by the biggest competitor of all our other customers, which was a challenging period. Four years later, we completed a management buyout, allowing us to operate independently. In 2015, we engaged in a significant acquisition deal with Gerflor Group( Gerflor), who had approached us several times over the years. At that time, Gerflor was about a € 600 million business, and having become quite acquisitive, it has since grown to approximately € 1.5 billion. Our biggest issue during that time was finding a partner that could grow with us in this market, so we needed to avoid another acquisition that could complicate matters for our customers.
“ Gerflor had established itself as a market leader in France, Germany, and many other parts of the world, and we believed that, after allowing some time for things to settle, there was a real opportunity for us to leverage its market leadership and brand values to enhance Gradus’ offerings,” he begins.
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