DELTA PLUS was founded in France in 1977 by Jacques Benoit to manufacture protective clothing. Since then the majority familyowned company has grown steadily, expanding both its product range and geographic presence. Today it manufactures half of the products in its catalogue at its own production plants located in France, Spain, China, India, Dubai, Argentina and Brazil. The remaining 50% of the product range is produced by thirdparty contract manufacturers in accordance with DELTA PLUS’s own specifications and quality controls. The product range can be divided into five main product families providing workers with head-to-toe protection. These five product families cover head, hand, body, foot and fall protection. Head protection products include safety helmets, hearing protection, protective eyewear, face shields and respiratory masks. Hand protection covers high-tech gloves, heavy-duty textile gloves, synthetic gloves and leather gloves. Body protection comprises, outdoor wear, workwear, technical and high visibility clothing, and disposable clothing. Foot protection encompasses safety boots and shoes. Fall protection equipment covers full body harnesses, self-retractable fall arrest equipment, energy absorber fall arresters, lifelines and anchorage devices. The range comprises some 1,500 individual positions and all products are sold under the company’s own DELTA PLUS brand.
“None of our competitors can rival the breadth and depth of our product range, which is the most comprehensive in the market,” insists President Jerome Benoit, son of the company founder and owner of 55% of the company shares. “Whatever the customer needs in terms of personal protective equipment, he can find it in our catalogue. We are a one-stop shop for everything required to ensure worker safety and conform with health and safety regulations.” Over the years, the DELTA PLUS brand has come to be known for ist reliable quality and excellent value for money. “We set the benchmarks in the industry that others must measure themselves against,” says Mr. Benoit. A key advantage in achieving this position is the fact that DELTA PLUS is a vertically integrated company that controls the entire value chain of its products.
“By maintaining a tight hold of the means of production, we are able to optimize costs and manufacture highly technical products without external assis- tance,” states Mr. Benoit. It is also highly innovative in its approach. Dedicated research and development teams improve the company’s products over time so that comfort and design are enhanced at the same time as quality and performance. A global manufacturing base and distribution network ensures that it also boasts an optimized supply chain capable of making deliveries worldwide from India or China of the whole range of protective equipment. Five logistics platforms and 20 distribution subsidiaries ensure that 10,000 customers worldwide can rely on prompt order fulfilment. In Europe that means guaranteed delivery within 48 hours. Three logistics platforms in France, Poland and the UK with a total storage area of 23,300 m2 provide coverage for the entire European market. Outside Europe, the company operates four intermediate warehouses: in Peru for South America, Dubai for the Middle East, Ukraine for Eastern Europe and Croatia for the Balkans. In Asia the company has five logistics platforms with a total of 40,300 m2 of storage located in China and India. Through its highly efficient logistics management, full access to the DELTA PLUS range is guaranteed in over 90 countries worldwide.
“The strength of DELTA PLUS today is based on these three foundations – the value chain of our products, the efficiency of the supply chain and our proximity to customers,” outlines Mr. Benoit. Another strength is DELTA PLUS’s focus on high volume production and sales. “We are not a niche provider,” says Mr. Benoit. “We supply our products in high volumes for maximum cost efficiency.” Despite the high volume nature of the business it is anything but impersonal. “We maintain direct contacts with our customers and end users such as the major international groups in industry and construction,” insists Mr. Benoit. “Where that contact is made via our distributors, we are always on hand to provide support, particularly when they are involved in bidding for major tenders.” DELTA PLUS has its own sales team comprising 300 representatives in Europe who are responsible for direct sales. In addition to a network of distributors, DELTA PLUS products are also sold by agricultural cooperatives, construction supplies wholesalers and industrial equipment resellers.
The company is a regular exhibitor at the major industry trade fairs including A plus A in Dusseldorf, Germany, and Expo Protection in France as well as a host of other exhibitions held in the various national markets in which it is active. The European market accounts for 60% of the company’s 160 million EUR turnover while the rest of the world accounts for the remaining 40%. DELTA PLUS prides itself on ist full service to clients which includes
“We are the technical experts for personal protective equipment and offer our distributors and customers a full range of services related to workplace safety,” insists Mr. Benoit. “We do not just sell a product but perform a complete risk analysis of the workplace in order to recommend the best product solutions for the specific requirement. We also furnish comprehensive product support in the form of user manuals and standardization advice. As a manufacturer of protective equipment, DELTA PLUS has an active hand in setting safety standards and is closely involved in standardizing products so that systems from different manufacturers can be used interchangeably.
After experiencing a fall in turnover following the financial crisis, DELTA PLUS has now returned to pre-crisis performance levels. Following the acquisition of a company in Brazil in 2013, it is targeting continued expansion. “We will be focusing on adding value in the European market by focusing on more technical products,” says Mr. Benoit. “At the same time, we will be targeting growth in emerging markets through additional acquisitions. This strategy reflects the different stages of maturity of the different markets and will ensure that DELTA PLUS continues to be the world leader for head-to-toe protection.”
