'Shovel in the ground' for new smart factory for custom-made metal

It's going fast. More and more Flemish metalworkers are discovering the added value that the custom-cut metal sheets, tubes and folded parts of 247TailorSteel can do for them. To fulfill its ambition to deliver within 48 hours, the e-commerce specialist for metalworking is now setting up a new branch in the heart of West Flanders. Metaalvak signed present for the first 'shovel in the ground' of the new building.

It was under a brilliant sun that 247TailorSteel CEO Carlo Berlo proudly addressed the attendees in Hooglede. "A year ago we stood for a similar event on a wasteland in Langenau. With a different construction company, a different mayor, but with the same intention. To raise a state-of-the-art smart sheet metal fabrication plant out of the ground. Two weeks ago we were there to officially declare production open. Now we want to repeat that trick here. Nowhere in the world is there a higher concentration of metalworking companies of all sizes than here. And by the way, we do not do this alone, but together with our partners. We believe that only by working together with our suppliers and customers can we continue to grow."

At record pace to new milestone

So the bar has clearly been set for construction firm Vulsteke. In just under twelve months, a fully operational new facility of 17,000 m² will be built. Twelve laser cutting machines, ten tube lasers and twelve bending benches will be installed in phases. 

The presence of a new 247TailorSteel plant in the heart of West Flanders should not only help serve Belgian customers better, but also further open the gateway to northern France. 

"247TailorSteel uses a full in-house machine park. Thanks to our self-developed Sophia® portal, customers can place orders online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, receive a quote within one minute, and have their products delivered within 48 hours. To achieve this ambition, we aim to serve customers within a 200 kilometer radius. This new production facility is another great milestone and major step in this direction," said Berlo.

Wanted: 250 employees

The arrival of 247TailorSteel a good thing. Once the smart plant for cut-to-size metal sheets, tubes and folded parts is up and running, it will employ 250 people. 

By the way, experience in the metal sector is not a must for the future staff. "They get that training from us. We can transform pizza couriers into the best laser operators," Berlo adds with a wink. "We are mainly looking for employees with that good West Flemish mentality, who want to work hard as a team. We may invest 22 million in new state-of-the-art machinery here, but ultimately it is our employees who make our ambitions come true."

Boost for the region

Incoming Mayor Frederik Demeyere was also particularly delighted with 247TailorSteel's choice of Hooglede. "A huge boost for local employment," he called it. "I have no knowledge of metalworking myself; my background is in archaeology. You used to find a large oak forest on this spot, where there was the penetrating smell of charcoal. Indeed, wood was smothered here in a controlled manner to make charcoal that served to fire the furnace of the forge to make metal objects. With the advent of the activities of 247TailorSteel the circle is now complete. A future-oriented industrial site will be created here, adding value to Hooglede and the region."    

247TailorSteel in facts

- Turnover 160 million
- More than 700 employees
- 30,000 customers
- 185,000 sq. ft. of floor space spread across six locations