Flamingo paves the way for further expansion

Starting out as a bird dealer in Belgium in 1972, the company that Erwin van Tendeloo took over from his father in 1993 now markets 8 500 accessory items for all pets along with treat products for dogs and cats to wholesalers, pet shops, supermarkets, garden centres, DIY stores and pet groomers in 66 countries, even available in Australia. The company’s main export destinations, however, are the Benelux states, France, Germany and  

Italy, where Flamingo also has its own distribution team locally. Last year, the Belgian firm had annual turnover amounting to 60 mio euros. “Our aim is to surpass the 100 mio euro mark in the next few years,” says CEO Guy Toremans.

The rapid rate of expansion of Flamingo is mirrored in the number of people it employs. Seven years ago, it had a workforce of 70, which has risen in the meantime to 205. Flamingo’s swift growth meant that its previous base in Geel was bursting at the seams, urgently necessitating a move to a new, bigger building. The new location, situated just a few kilometres from the previous headquarters, also boasts ample parking, with 226 spaces available for employees and visitors to the company.

Flamingo’s new head office is viewed as a centre for innovation, growth and working together. The building extends over four levels internally. It comprises a 33 500 m² warehouse that is 240 metres long and 144 metres wide, a mezzanine covering 6 300 m² and office premises covering 4 600 m². Warehouse capacity sufficient for around 62 000 pallets ensures a smooth logistics process. By comparison, the old headquarters had room for 35 000 pallets, with a further 20 000 pallet spaces available in various outdoor storage areas. The new building has 35 loading ramps and three sectional gates for the admission and dispatch of products.

The new showroom extending more than 1 700 m² offers an overview of the entire range and underlines why Flamingo is so highly rated by its customers. Not only is the huge product portfolio of the company an impressive array, carefully put together from manufacturers in Europe, Asia and North America and presented there; Flamingo also seizes on the latest trends in the pet sector in all merchandise groups, thereby ensuring that it can always offer its trading partners an up-to-date assortment. Every month, Flamingo brings around 100 new products in all categories onto the market. Moreover, the company delivers to its marketing partners as quickly as possible. Orders are processed within 24 hours for Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Italy. The level of service achieved by Flamingo at over 95 per cent – and as high as 96.5 per cent in 2023 – is a peak value that only a few companies in the pet supplies sector attain. To raise the service level for its trading partners continuously, the company has developed a B2B web shop. This even won an award last year for its innovative appearance and user-friendliness.

Another aspect of Flamingo that customers value highly is its long-standing expertise with regard to assortment and store design. The experts from Flamingo know exactly where dog treats, cat toys or bird cages, for instance, sell best in a store. The shopfitters with whom the company works accordingly deliver and install a concept tailored to the needs of the retail client independently of the respective pet and category groups. Thanks to its extensive knowledge of the market and its wide range, Flamingo is also highly esteemed as a private-label expert. As well as having an expert team in Belgium, the company has its own private-label team in China, which procures the best products and oversees their direct import.

Although Flamingo was focused primarily on planning and implementing its move in the last two years, the company did not miss the opportunity to engage with the important topic of sustainability. Flamingo appointed a sustainability manager, Kirsten Ceulaers, who elaborates concepts for gearing all areas of the company towards sustainability. A sustainability report was produced for the first time in 2022. This reflects the endeavours to embed greater environmental awareness now and in the future into every area of the company, from supply chain management via product development to operational processes. These include measures for reducing packaging along with comprehensive onboarding programmes for new employees and organising the new head office sustainably. In line with Flamingo’s sustain­ability targets, the roof of the building was fitted with 5 500 solar panels, enabling the company to take an important step towards a greener future. An adequate number of charging stations was also installed for staff members with plug-in hybrids and electric cars.