In 2018 Delabie, a manufacturer of water controls and sanitary equipment, celebrates its 90th anniversary.
The family-owned company based in the Somme has survived war and several economic crises and continues to grow stronger year after year.
The founder Georges Delabie was born in 1889. He began his career on the shop floor, then decided to set up on his own in 1928, buying a foundry that was established in 1863.
In 1947, he was joined by his son Jean and together they built the company’s reputation, selling mixer taps in the domestic sector. The major challenge was the wide variety of installation types so Georges and Jean Delabie focussed on the renovation market, manufacturing replacement mixer taps for the post-war era.
In 1971, Jean Delabie invented the universal tap head which brought cohesion to the disparate array of installations.
2006 saw the company acquire Chavonnet, a manufacturer of water controls for hospitals, and Sogeprove, a manufacturer of accessibility equipment and hygienic accessories.
For two consecutive years, Delabie products have been awarded the German Design Award.