Hunter Douglas new owner Derako Solid Wood Systems

Hunter Douglas Architectural and Derako International BV have finally joint forces in the form of a takeover by Hunter Douglas Architectural. This is the result of a long, successful collaboration on the European market.

CEO of Hunter Douglas EMEA & Oceania, Aad Kuiper: “The acquisition of Derako fits in with our strategy to offer a wide range of Specialty Ceilings that enable architects and designers to design and realize groundbreaking and creative projects. We are convinced that Hunter Douglas and Derako form a strong foundation together for further growth and success.”

“A long engagement, now getting married,” is how Peter van Laar, Managing Director of Derako International, describes the acquisition of Derako Solid Wood Systems by Hunter Douglas. The close cooperation on the European market, was the decisive factor in saying yes. ‘Derako keeps its own expertise, technical support and production environment in ‘t Zand but will fall under the management of Hunter Douglas from now on.’ With the future in mind, adding more wooden products to our portfolio offers us interesting possibilities. Van Laar; ‘Wood is a renewable and sustainable resource and for the last decades, durability has become a very important issue on the social calendar. Furthermore, bringing together two companies under the same management is an efficient and more sustainable way to produce and sell.

For Pieter van Rees, Business Development & Marketing Manager at Hunter Douglas Architectural, the acquisition offers great opportunities. “We both have our own areas of expertise, which complement each other well at the same time. This step opens up worldwide possibilities for further increasing sustainable wooden ceiling and wall solutions in construction through Derako's many years of experience in this field. On the other hand, Hunter Douglas has a large international sales network with potential to grow even further.”