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PROFILE

“OUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE IS TO
TRANSFER OUR
EXPERTISE AND
KNOWLEDGE OF
HOOD FILTERING
INTO DIFFERENT
INNOVATIVE
PRODUCT TYPES”
Lorenzo Poser, head of sales and
marketing, Falmec

Nigel Jacobs, left, MD of Falmec importer Euroline, with Falmec head of


sales and marketing Lorenzo Poser in the showroom at Falmec’s HQ in Italy

ITALIAN STYLE Extraction systems brand Falmec is repositioning itself as a specialist


on air treatment for the whole home – not just the kitchen
Words Emma Hedges

www.kbbdaily.com | ek&bbusiness october 2017 39


PROFILE “EITHER YOU GO WITH AN INVISIBLE PRODUCT,
OR YOU GO WITH A VISIBLE PRODUCT THAT
T
“ he market is divided between invisible
products and beautiful products,” explains HAS VERY HIGH DESIGN VALUE”
Lorenzo Poser, head of sales and marketing Lorenzo Poser, head of sales and marketing, Falmec
at Italian extraction systems specialist Falmec.
“Either you go with an invisible product, or you
go with a visible product that has very high
design value. The classical box shapes are just A pair of Sophie island extractors, in Worn
Brass, from the CircleTech collection
not working anymore.” The company’s product
portfolio reflects this current trend, and includes
sleek offerings such as the award-winning
surface-mounted Piano, and statement island
extractors like those in the new CircleTech range.
It’s fair to say that CircleTech is about as far from
the old-fashioned box-shaped hood as it’s possible
to get. Each of the elegant extractors has a
distinctive silhouette, with one – the Soffio – even
featuring a canopy made from Murano glass, which
is produced close to the company’s HQ near Venice.
But, as Poser is keen to point out, Falmec does
not just focus on the visual aspect of a product.
“We always focus on quality, but that doesn’t just
mean the material and finish of a product –
quality is also about technological benefits,” he
explains. CircleTech extractors feature a filtering
unit that operates horizontally rather than
vertically, and the company says that the
combined carbon and zeolite filter removes up to
86% of cooking odours and vapours, compared to
a standard carbon filter that removes up to 20%.
Falmec believes that it is “always pushing the
development of [its] technological know-how to the
limits”, and a result of this is its Noise Reduction
System – NRS – which has earned it Quiet Mark
accreditation for achieving some of the quietest
extractors on the market, starting at 37dB.
Another key development is the launch of the
Bellaria – a table-top ionisation system that purifies
the air. Characteristically stylish and complete with
Murano glass, the Bellaria represents a departure
for the company in that it’s not just about the
kitchen, but about improving the ambience and air
quality of the whole home. “We are proud to say
that Bellaria has won a silver prize in the Wellness
and Relaxation Products category of the European
Design Awards,” says Poser.
When it comes to future plans, there’s certainly
plenty in the pipeline. Poser says that they are
aiming to have four new surface-mounted
integrated products ready for KBB Birmingham
and EuroCucina next year, with a concept for the
connected home also to be presented at EuroCucina.
“The message is to add value to everyday life with
our products,” says Poser of the latest catalogue.
“Everybody is busy at work – our aim is to help
them feel good at home. It’s quite ambitious, but
you have to be ambitious,” he smiles. ■

The Soffio extractor from the CircleTech


range, featuring Amber satin Murano glass

The new Bellaria table-top air purification system

40 ek&bbusiness october 2017 | www.kbbdaily.com


PROFILE
Euroline MD Nigel Jacobs outside
the company’s Colchester HQ

COMPANY PROFILE
The Lumina NRS landscape extractor
featuring the Noise Reduction System
Euroline
Who are we? Nigel Jacobs, MD
Part of the CircleTech collection, the Vetra
island extractor is made from scotch brite Where are we? 8 De Grey Square, De Grey
stainless steel and tempered glass, and uses
perimeter extraction Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5YQ.
Tel: 01206 849 900. www.falmec.co.uk;
www.euroline.co.uk

What we do Importer of specialist appliance


brands Falmec, Barazza and IoMabe

Business history Euroline is the exclusive


importer of premium appliance brands, Falmec,
Barazza and IoMabe. The company is privately
owned and was founded in 2000 by Nigel
Jacobs. Euroline has its 3,000sq ft head office and
1,500sq ft showroom in Colchester. Logistics are
handled by Swiftcare, based near Oxford, who
provide dedicated two-man delivery teams.
Euroline began importing Falmec in 2005.
The company sells products into four channels,
of which the largest is the mid-premium
independent kitchen retailer. “We currently have
The double inlet Piano surface-mounted just over 300 displaying Falmec dealers in the
extractor comes with three speed options UK, and we are looking to expand our business
with the right partners,” says Jacobs. The other
channels are architects and developers; kitchen
The Dama model from the new CircleTech collection manufacturers such as Hacker and Symphony;
and a specific range of extractors are supplied
to Homebase

Sales stats “In the last four years, we have


seen a growth rate of 10% year-on-year,”
says Jacobs

Staffing levels 16 members of staff

The surface-mounted Piano sits flush within the


worktop and is shown here in the single inlet version

www.kbbdaily.com | ek&bbusiness october 2017 41


Falmec’s HQ in Vittorio Veneto,
in the Treviso province of Italy PROFILE

Euroline MD Nigel Jacobs, left, with Falmec


head of sales and marketing Lorenzo Poser

COMPANY PROFILE
“WE CURRENTLY HAVE JUST OVER 300 DISPLAYING Falmec
FALMEC DEALERS IN THE UK, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO Who are we? Lorenzo Poser, head of sales
and marketing
EXPAND OUR BUSINESS WITH THE RIGHT PARTNERS”
Nigel Jacobs, managing director, Euroline Where are we? Via dell’Artigianato, 42, 31029
Vittorio Veneto, Italy. Tel: 01206 849 900.
www.falmec.co.uk; www.euroline.co.uk

» What is your greatest challenge? “Our What we do Specialist producer of extraction


biggest challenge at the moment is to transfer systems and cooker hoods
our expertise and knowledge of hood filtering
technologies into different innovative product Business history The company was founded
types, such as our Bellaria home air purifier for over 30 years ago by brothers Danilo and
example. The challenge is not just technological, Maurizio Poser, who still own the business
but also commercial. These new products can today. Danilo’s sons, Lorenzo (who covers
be sold into new sales channels, which are sales and marketing) and Andrea (who
different to traditional kitchen furniture covers operations and production), are
channels, and therefore new to Falmec. now involved in running the business, which
This is a challenge, but at the same time an produces around 130,000 units every year,
opportunity to spread the Falmec brand and and currently manufactures 700 different
technologies into different business and versions of 120 models. Falmec is still based
increase our presence in the market, presenting in Vittorio Veneto, in the Treviso province
Falmec as a specialist brand on all air treatment, of Italy, where it was founded. It works
not only in the kitchen,” says Poser with 70 distributors worldwide – international
markets account for 65% of its business,
» Strange but true “Falmec started in the while 35% is in Italy
early 1980s producing wood stoves. At the
time, the market was requiring a cover on the Sales stats “Group turnover for 2016 was
top of stoves. So we also started producing 40m,” says Poser
some metal covers with a small fan – that’s Falmec head of sales and marketing
how the story began,” he explains Lorenzo Poser, left, at Silverstone Staffing levels 160 employees
with racing driver Andrea Fontana

Falmec sponsors racing driver Andrea


Fontana and his Lamborghini Huracàn Gt3

www.kbbdaily.com | ek&bbusiness october 2017 43

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