“Excellent service for our clients remains our company’s core value.”
Retail Projects recently changed ownership in a management buy-out initiated by Thomas Kumpen and Peter Mannaert. They have been the leading forces behind the business for some time now. Peter continues his work as Director of Operations with the same passion for his people and beautiful interiors he’s always had. Thomas recently stepped into the Commercial Director role after joining the team in 2020.
“As we establish new roots as a company, providing excellent service to our clients remains our core value”, Thomas says. “Companies such as Panos, Exki, Neuhaus, Nobi and Hugo Boss are as important as ever, and we are committed to helping them realize their national or international ambitions. The feeling of opening a new store for them never gets old! It feels even better once you’ve become a stakeholder.”
Retail, catering and independent traders
While the team will continue to focus on retail, they have a renewed appetite for the catering sector and independent traders. “In the past, the company didn’t always have the time and resources for smaller-scale projects, but since the new-found independence, a couple of new and exciting clients have joined the fold, and some promising activities are in the pipeline,” Thomas explains.
One of those new projects is very close to his heart, as he is a big lover of cigars. Soon, Retail Projects will start renovating Brussels’s famous cigar shop, Le Roi du Cigare. The works will kick off in May and mark the start of an exciting, new, independent project. “We hope to be able to add many new clients to the roster, both in the retail and the restaurant space,” says Thomas. “Each project is a new creative opportunity, regardless of the size.”
Expanding the team
Furthermore, with the expanding portfolio, Retail Projects is growing too! “Since the transition last year, we have doubled our workforce, welcomed new project leaders, and created new roles to strengthen our administrative and commercial operations,” Peter says. “We’ve welcomed new team members to help with sketches, and communication professionals who will help the business grow. The team now counts 16 new people!
We’re excited about the future and even more about the prospect of uniting our people and operations under one roof in Heusden-Zolder in our upcoming business move. 2024 will be a great new chapter for the Retail Projects family!”