Lafosse launches HandsHero and reorganizes its activities.

horecaadmin
juli 2, 2020
All Stories
1 mins read

Things are moving fast for Lafosse from Gullegem. Last year, the specialist in installing professional kitchens took over the production company Vermandere, and in March of this year, they launched disinfection stations under that same name. Since then, the company has already put thousands of these disinfection stations on the market, and to meet the demand, 20 temporary workers were hired, despite the corona times.

“The initial hype has died down, but we notice a changed mentality regarding hand hygiene,” states Karel Lafosse, co-owner. “This means it remains a product range that’s here to stay. Moreover, we now regularly receive inquiries from abroad, where the quality of our stainless steel stations clearly makes an impression.”

“To realize these international ambitions, we went looking for a new name for the disinfection stations,” adds Benjamin Vandorpe, co-owner. The choice fell on HandsHero, with the accompanying website www.handshero.com. “HandsHero is something that sounds good in all languages, and immediately makes clear what it means,” according to Benjamin Vandorpe.

Benjamin Vandorpe (left) and Karel Lafosse (right) with part of the HandsHero product range

Product development isn’t standing still either, and the company is launching no fewer than three new models, all unique in the market, to complete the range. All three models provide a high capacity for alcohol gel. While the first model had a capacity of 1 liter, the 3 new models have a built-in 10-liter reservoir, good for 10,000 disinfections before needing a refill. In addition to a straightforward high-capacity model, the company is launching a version with built-in temperature measurement and a version with a digital screen. Besides hospitals and residential care centers, it is also targeting places where increased hand hygiene is appropriate, such as fruit and vegetable departments in department stores.

With the new brand name comes a reorganization of activities. The company is being renamed LAVA group, a contraction of the two controlling families, Lafosse and Vandorpe, who each hold 50% of the capital. This includes three activities: Lafosse (design and realization of professional kitchens), Vermandere (production of custom extractor hoods, stainless steel furniture, and floor drains), and HandsHero (disinfection stations).