Customer focus

More branches, market-oriented product innovations and an omnichannel approach

Lecot is investing in the future. According to the multi-year plan Visio 2025, the supplier of window, door and furniture fittings, tools, machines and safety materials focuses on its customers even more than before. Ongoing digitalization, the construction of two new warehouses, an expansion of the branch network, close supplier relationships as well as market-oriented product innovations are making an important contribution to this.

Lecot wants to be close to its customers. "Partly for this reason, we have expanded our online platform with a new webshop. This allows every professional to place their orders even easier and faster from now on," says Kristof De Nayer, Marketing Manager at Lecot. "From machines to hand tools, chemicals and personal protective equipment. In addition, thanks to a collaboration with Salesforce, customer follow-up by our inside and outside sales staff is further improved. Interactions about, for example, quotations, orders, questions and complaints are now stored in one central and transparent database, giving us instant access to all customer information. As a result, customers can be helped even faster and better."

Expansion of branch network

Lecot currently has 78 branches in Belgium and six in the Netherlands. "In both countries there is still room for expansion," explains Group Manager Window and Door Technology Belgium Karel Vanderweeën. "On our home market in Belgium, we still see potential for about 20 additional branches (own branches or acquisitions) and there is also still a lot of room for growth at the product level. For example, in the access control market." There are also interesting growth opportunities in the Netherlands. For example, Lecot is exploring opportunities for expansion from the southern to the northern Netherlands. "The realization of a new logistics center in Breda should help to deliver orders placed today as early as tomorrow here as well."

New warehouse in Heule

One of the spearheads of multi-year plan Visio 2025 is the construction of a new 5,500 m² warehouse in Heule (near Kortrijk), to be operational by early 2025. A fully automated shuttle system should ensure fast and efficient entry and exit of more than 50,000 stock items and 150,000 non-stock items from more than 750 suppliers. 

Lecot vendor reception and LLL trophy

The largest suppliers are invited annually to the Lecot supplier reception, which has become a household name in the market. "The purpose of our supplier reception is not only to look back on the previous year together, but above all to look forward to the future," De Nayer said. "The LLL (Lecot Favorite Supplier) trophies are also awarded annually. For this, commercial cooperation, customer interactions as well as how the supplier deals with data, sustainability, packaging and returns are examined, for example." 

In the General Building Hardware category, this year's LLL trophy went to GEZE.

Total package

Lecot and GEZE have been partners in the window and door market in Belgium and the Netherlands for many years. The exchange of expertise and open communication ensure the successful cooperation. Because of advantages such as optimal integration possibilities, one point of contact, equal quality and complete support, more and more contractors are looking for partners who can deliver a total package. GEZE fulfills these promises together with Lecot with a comprehensive range of solutions in the field of manual and automatic doors, window and ventilation technology, RWA, escape route control and building automation. 

Comfortable and safe

GEZE GmbH is a German family business with 160 years of knowledge and experience in door systems, window and safety technology. In Leonberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, GEZE also has a large development and production site. "Thanks to our high quality standard, contractors worldwide use our products and systems for the realization of the most diverse buildings," explains Sales Manager Belgium Roel Overmeire. "We have in-house solutions for healthcare, hotels and restaurants, office complexes, transport technology, schools, historic buildings, sports and cultural infrastructure, public and private buildings, shopping centers and retail. Our ambition? To contribute to the development of livable buildings with the highest level of comfort and safety for users."  

Guidance from A to Z

GEZE stands for innovation, quality and support. "We accompany customers throughout the entire life cycle of a product," Overmeire said. "From the first planning meeting, we offer comprehensive advice and we listen carefully to expectations. We offer objective advice and supply door, window and security technology. For specific projects we even make customized solutions and all more complex systems we assemble directly at the contractor's premises. Simple building hardware we offer through wholesalers such as Lecot, with whom we have a fine and close cooperation." 

GEZE is ISO 9001-certified. All products comply with international standards in quality and safety.

Powerful, robust and quiet door closer

A recent innovation in the GEZE range is the TS 5000 SoftClose with T-stop slide channel. With this, GEZE introduces the most powerful, robust and quiet door closer for external doors. "Thanks to the new door closer, exterior doors now close quietly and safely under all conditions," says Vanderweeën. "So even in situations where the door is subject to high wind loads or when using electric striker plates. As a result, technical interventions on the striker plate or lock are no longer an issue."