From the Maldives to the French Riviera, from Australia to Belgium, designer parasols made by the Belgian company Umbrosa can be found on the most beautiful terraces of palaces, resorts, restaurants and private residences. This Belgian SME is booming with an annual growth in double figures.
Umbrosa was founded in 2005 by Christophe Haemers, Michiel Lannoye and Tom Goossens from a family company which made aluminium structures. They decided to embark on the creation of parasols inspired by Italian design, believing this market segment to be relatively unexploited and lacking in innovation. Their idea was to reinvent an existing product. They did not want to hide the sun but to create shade in order to be able to take better advantage of the sun.
Following the economic and financial crisis in 2009, Umbrosa decided to invest, hire staff and extend its range in order to present one new model a year. This was how several collections came into being: Eclipsum, Icarus, Paraflex… Umbrosa's directors had international ambitions and wanted to focus more on the tourism and hotel professionals market. In 2015, Umbrosa introduced light into its shade solutions with the Etna range.
Today, 80% of the €5 million turnover is achieved overseas. However, the Belgian residential market continues to be strong. The company based in Roeselare, in West Flanders, employs 17 people at its offices and 30 people in production. Many projects are still in the pipeline, including a showroom in Miami for 2017. Umbrosa has not finished conquering the world with its luxury parasols.
