FILTERING MEDIA
The Aquitaine based group has been a major player in the paper industry since it was founded in 1924. At that time, production was focusing on filtration media, glass micro-fibre air filtration papers starting from 1980. Two years later, Bernard Dumas took on a new challenge and launched its first battery separators on the market. With a solid market base in France established thanks to its know-how, the Company started moving towards its international development from 1985. It then entered the Arjowiggins group in 1989. Since 2008, the regional capital-investment company IRDI / iXO Private Equity has been the Company’s major shareholder aiming at supporting and accelerating Bernard Dumas development having the executive team involved in the process. In September 2012, Hokuetsu Corporation, one of the major papermaker in Japan acquired 100% of the company Bernard Dumas. The acquisition by a strong paper player in Asia will enable Bernard Dumas, specialist in technical papers, to accelerate its development in the global market. Hokuetsu Corporation and Bernard Dumas both believe that there will be a tremendous synergy potential by sharing each other’s technological excellence in glass micro fiber sheet production.
Bernard Dumas is now continuing its sales development by focusing its innovations and expertise on two product lines:
Bernard Dumas capacity to design and adapt products to meet customers’ demands allows the Company to maintain a steady growth over the years.
While Bernard Dumas has maintained its production and Research & Development activities in its home town of Creysse, the industrial group also managed to promote its products internationally. Exports presently account for 85% of sales, included via selected agents based in various countries ensuring local relationships and close support to customers on a daily basis.
Furthermore, by combining Hokuetsu Kishu Paper’s strong presence in Asian market for glass micro fibre based high efficiency air filter media and Bernard Dumas’ strong presence in the European market and US for glass micro fiber base battery separators for AGM, the Group will be able to position itself to capture growing worldwide demand and become one of the top glass micro fiber sheet suppliers in the world.