Aluvision celebrates 20 years of business – and 20 years with Hydro
The Belgian company Aluvision is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024. The events services provider is also celebrating its 20-year relationship with Hydro. "They have never let us down," says Michiel Lesage.
Aluvision managed its way through the financial crisis in the 2000s, survived the recent pandemic, and is now well-positioned to strengthen its standing as a designer and manufacturer of systems for the stand-building and event industry, in Europe and in the U.S.
Improved sustainability is one of the themes that the company is pursuing with full force. So is Hydro. The companies are now taking further steps together.
20 years of history and common values
Michiel Lesage is responsible for research and development for Aluvision, and he reflects on the role that Hydro has played in his company’s 20 years of history.
"Due to the longstanding contact we have had with the same individuals, many things go without saying,” he says. “Hydro understands our way of working, and vice versa. We share the same values, such as doing what you say and saying what you do."
In addition to his R&D responsibilities, Lesage oversees the purchase of extruded aluminium profiles and components, which are the core materials for Aluvision’s stands and displays. He says the value that Hydro provides, particularly from its sites in Raeren in Belgium and Drunen in the Netherlands, covers more than just the delivery of aluminium products.
"We can always rely on advice from their drawing office, whether it's technical feedback or innovative ideas. They support us every step of the way with advice and with action,” he says. “They are more than an extruder, they are a partner. Hydro has never let us down.”
This includes sustainable thinking, and when discussing this topic – and the actions Aluvision is taking to improve its product range – Lesage lifts a blue strip (pictured below) and explains.
"The profiles that Hydro makes for us are delivered on a pallet. These are usually wrapped in plastic film, a packaging method that generates waste," he says. "This reusable packaging strip with subdivisions is specially developed so that, for example, our Omni-55 Pro profile –which we produce in high volumes – can be transported without all that plastic.
“In this way, we are collaborating to reduce our footprint and become progressively more sustainable."
Using innovation to shape the future
The events industry struggled mightily during the pandemic, with travel restrictions leading to months of event cancellations. Lesage says Aluvision survived by using its innovative approach to take advantage of the opportunities that were available, to diversify its product range and modularly organize interior spaces to the outdoors.
"This approach led to the creation of an outdoor segment. And for about three years now, we have been delivering an outdoor range under the Sundaze brand, including pergolas and cabanas,” he says.
Key account manager Alain Defour, who works for Hydro in Raeren, the plant that is manufacturing the Sundaze components, says what Aluvision achieved during the pandemic is nothing less than impressive.
“They were faced with a total collapse of their market. Now, trade shows are running at full speed again, and their outdoor department has grown significantly,” says Defour. “The future looks very bright for Aluvision."