BekaertDeslee is the undisputed global leader in mattress textiles. With a large portfolio of products that prioritise consumer comfort and sustainability, the company has taken some major steps to maintain this commitment.
Sustainability Manager Charles Christiaens explained more, in an exclusive interview with Inside Sustainability. Report by Imogen Ward.
From textile rolls to finalised mattress covers, BekaertDeslee manufactures top quality products that enhance hygiene and sleeping comfort.
“We offer various textiles for the mattress industry, including woven and knitted fabrics,” said Sustainability Manager Charles Christiaens. “Depending on the needs and requirements of the customers, we can produce a variety of options that are often finished to enhance hygiene and consumer comfort. Some of our products even offer anti-bacterial treatments, moisture and temperature control, and odourising treatments.”
BekaertDeslee is an amalgamation of two distinct and innovative companies: Bekaert Textiles (established in 1892) and Deslee (founded in 1928). Over the years, both companies witnessed steady growth,
and in 2015 – after being acquired by Haniel Holding (a German equity business) – the two merged, and BekaertDeslee was born.
“Since that point, we have remained the undisputed global leader in mattress textiles,” Mr Christiaens explained. “We have representatives on every continent and in every major market.”
With an ambition for growth, the company has made several acquisitions over the years. Most recently, in 2022, BekaertDeslee acquired Maxime Knitting, a Canadian leader in the manufacture of knitted fabrics for mattresses, pillows and foundations. This investment placed BekaertDeslee in prime position to become the leading mattress fabric suppliers in North America.
In 2023, the company set its sights on expansion once again; entering into a joint venture with Indian-based textile
manufacturer CMC Textiles. This agreement had been years in the making and marked a new era for BekaertDeslee, in one of the largest markets for mattress manufacturing.
Green innovation
Keen to retain its market-leading position, BekaertDeslee has a dedicated Innovation & Design team that is constantly working
on new developments and projects. In line with this, the team has been using emerging technologies to test the recyclability of its waste polyester: successful, this will be used to create sustainable yarn.
“Our Innovation & Design Center represents the big know-how of our company,” said Mr Christiaens. “The team is constantly working on new developments and complex R&D projects, with a continuous focus on circularity and sustainability.
“Currently, we are collecting our textile post-production waste, and using the polyester fragments to test recyclability. We are working to produce a new polyester yarn from our own waste, and our tests have been successful so far. In time, this will enable us to cover part of our resource needs in-house.”
Determined to take this one step further, BekaertDeslee is also considering investigating the waste of its customers and the end consumers.
According to Mr Christiaens, eco-design is gaining momentum steadily within the market. In response to this, the company is combining the results of its recycling trials and waste processing to create smarter designs.
“By incorporating fairly simple interventions, we can often overcome some big issues for recycling companies,” Mr Christiaens added. “The successful marketing of these concepts will become paramount in the coming years.”
Ticket to transparency
With innovation always on the minds of those at BekaertDeslee, the company produced SmartSleeve Circular, a revolutionary mattress protector. Combining
BekaertDeslee’s Cairfull, Purotex and Adaptive technologies, the product enhances sleep, adapts to changes in temperature and reduces exposure to inanimate allergens. Manufactured using Seaqual yarn, a sustainable textile created using plastic waste recovered from the ocean, SmartSleeve aligns perfectly with BekaertDeslee’s commitment to sustainability. The product even won Interzum’s Best of the Best 2023 Award.
BekaertDeslee’s Innovation & Design team has also developed an innovative solution that seeks to provide customers with transparency regarding the circularity of this popular product. After several years of dedicated development, a digital
product passport is being piloted on SmartSleeve in various markets.
“We realised that the digital product passport is indispensable in a circular economy, and offers a lot of benefits for the recycling and end-of-life management of our products,” Mr Christiaens continued. “During the development of this, we spoke extensively with our stakeholders to decipher what information the passport should contain, and we are now trialling it through one of our subsidiaries in preparation of EU legislation.”
All of BekaertDeslee’s suppliers, partners and stakeholders are an essential element of its success – each one adhering to the company’s strict quality requirements.
“Quality and sustainability come as a package deal for us, because a decent product cannot be made in a bad environment,” said Mr Christiaens.
BekaertDeslee is able to ensure further product circularity from its initial product designs. For this reason, the company designs all its mattress covers to be easy
to disassemble at end of life. This decreases the risk of its products being sent to landfill and increases likelihood of recycling by the end user.
A firm focus
Thanks to a wave of high-quality competition, BekaertDeslee is always motivated to improve its quality and service. The company is able to meet the complex needs of the global market, whilst being actively challenged by new and exciting requests from its customers.
Not one to stand still, BekaertDeslee is now in search of new opportunities to accommodate its continued ambitions for growth:
“We are always targeting ambitious growth in all of our markets,” said Mr Christiaens. “We intend to accomplish this whilst continuing to offer the very best quality of service and retaining our leading market position; not only in size, but also in offering. If anything, we aim to enhance our position even further.”
When it comes to its products, BekaertDeslee always makes sure to do things the right way. It is this commitment that makes Mr Christiaens proud to work for the company: “I love knowing that we are contributing to society in a meaningful way. For me, the bigger picture is quite important; and working for a company that has integrity and is filled with fun, optimistic and committed colleagues certainly helps.” n
