MENU owner Designers Company has acquired Danish furniture company by Lassen for an undisclosed amount.
‘I am very pleased to have found an owner that will continue to focus on developing sales of my family’s designs. In a year of record sales and earnings, I commend the employees, the management team led by Henrik Nielsen and the board of directors led by Carl Erik Skovgaard for a solid effort. I will continue to design new products for by Lassen in the same architectural tradition that my grandfather, architect Mogens Lassen, initiated in 1962 when he drew the iconic Kubus candle holder,’ says Søren Lassen, by Lassen owner.
‘The outset for establishing by Lassen was Mogens and Flemming Lassen who were two of Denmark’s greatest architects, and it was paramount to find a partner with an understanding of the brand and its values.’
‘As the heritage, the history, the products and the organisation address the same traditions and ambitions as ours, it was not difficult to find each other,’ says Danny Feltmann, Designers Company group ceo. ‘There is great potential in the many iconic design products that the family has created throughout the years.’
‘It has been decisive for us to find a partner who shares our passion for design and quality. Until now, we have been working intensely on conveying Mogens and Flemming Lassen’s mode of expression and design philosophy to the rest of the world, and we take pride in lifting this unique design heritage. Becoming part of Designers Company enables us to continue this work. We look forward to benefiting from the synergies that will arise across the two brands and becoming part of the living design space, The Audo, in Copenhagen,’ says Henrik Nielsen, by Lassen ceo.
More than 60% of the by Lassen products are manufactured in Holstebro, which further supports the group’s ambitions in sustainability and manufacturing. ‘It has been important for us to secure local production in Holstebro, and we are pleased that we are able to maintain these jobs,’ says Nielsen.
Both MENU and by Lassen will continue as two independent brands, which will be strengthened through close collaboration between various functions and with cooperation partners. ‘Even though MENU is a more than 40-year-old company, we have a lot to learn from the heritage and craftsmanship on which by Lassen is founded. We also hope that MENU will be able to contribute with knowledge of an expansive global growth strategy. The two strong brands have a lot to learn from each other,’ says Feltmann.
‘With the investment in MENU in 2018 and subsequently in The Audo, the acquisition of by Lassen is a natural next step in the execution of a house of brands strategy, which will generate global growth and synergies in Danish design under the auspices of Designers Company,’ says Allan Bach Petersen, Partner at Polaris, which owns Designers Company together with MENU’s former owner Bjarne Hansen, and the group’s management.
With the acquisition of by Lassen, the Designers Company group will generate revenue of more than DKK350m and EBITDA exceeding DKK50m this year.