At 54 Christophe Drugmand knows the trade by heart. He is the head of this family business founded in 1919 by a great grandfather and has been distributing Galland products from the “Rail Infrastructure” range of its catalogue for the last ten years. A close collaboration which allows our company to figure well on the Belgian market.  An interview in 5 questions.

 

 What is the history of your company?

 

The public limited company Drugmand & Meert is a family business, founded in 1919 by my great grandfather. The DRUGMAND group then in 1963 incorporated the ESMAS SA company and the GECOM SA company in 1983. The Drugmand & Meert enterprise of which I am the general manager is ideally located near the Brussels airport.

 

What is your career history?

 

After obtaining a diploma in Marketing Management, my whole career has been devoted to Drugmand & Meert. I was fortunate to have had my grandfather as mentor for several years before taking over the reins of the company in 1998.

 

What profiles does your company consist of?

 

There are three types of profiles in our company : the technical sales representatives who form the base of our relationships with clients, but also the manual workers, in charge of assembly, packaging and shipment of our products. And finally, some administrative colleagues make up the rest pf the staff of a total of 14 people.

 

What is the history of your relationship with Galland?

 

We have been working together for 10 years. The first contact was thanks to one of our clients who suggested this collaboration. We got to know each other more in September 2013 in Bordeaux at the premises of the Galland company. The products offered by this company are perfectly adapted for figuring in our “Rail Infrastructure” range. There was a good contact between us right from the start…..which is important for companies working in the electricity domain!

Since then we have been in regular contact with the sales department and management.

Galland has excellent knowledge of the stakes of the railway market.  Their R&D expertise, the quality and reliability of their products are also among their numerous assets.

 

What are the markets of the future in the railway domain in Belgium?

 

In spite of the difficulties of the present economic situation, our country maintains its desire to invest in public works, and in particular in the railway and tram sector. Railways are above all a market of renovation, but concerning metros and trams there are several projects in progress, for example the tram in Liège.

 

 

To know him better

 

His hobbies

My free time is essentially devoted to my family and my close friends. But I also like good restaurants and good wines, water sports, skiing, and I also have a passion for old cars.

 

His family

I have a 12 year-old son from my first marriage and I live with Sandrine who recently joined our company.

 

His town

I live in a village of the Brabant Wallon area, in an isolated house close to the woods. It’(s a calm and peaceful place where I like to recharge my batteries.

 

His mantra

“If we have the courage to follow them, all our dreams become reality” ‘(Walt Disney)