D'Ieteren
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D'Ieteren Group SA/NV is a company, based in
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
that is engaged in automobile distribution and vehicle glass repair and replacement (VGRR) and other industrial activities related to spare parts.


History

Founded by master coachbuilder Joseph-Jean D'Ieteren in 1805, who began his first venture in
coachbuilding A coachbuilder manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles. The trade of producing coachwork began with bodies for horse-drawn vehicles. Today it includes custom automobiles, buses, motor coaches, and railway carriages. The word ...
and
wheelwright A wheelwright is a Artisan, craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the word "wright" (which comes from the Old English word "''wryhta''", meaning a worker - as also in shipbuilding, shipwright ...
ing, establishing a workshop on the . In 1857, his son Alexandre D'Ieteren expanded the business by opening a second location at 106 Rue Neuve/Nieuwstraat, where vehicle painting and garniture were incorporated into the existing trade of coachbuilding and wheelwrighting. In 1897, D'Ieteren became one of the first companies to produce bodywork for motorized vehicles, signaling a significant transition from traditional horse-drawn carriage manufacturing to automobile bodywork. This shift took place in a newly established workshop located on Chaussée de Charleroi/Charleroisesteenweg. The company continued to grow, and in 1929, the company went public through an
initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
on the
Brussels Stock Exchange The Brussels Stock Exchange ( ; ), abbreviated to BSE, was founded in Brussels, Belgium, by decree of Napoleon in 1801. In 2002, the BSE merged with the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, Amsterdam, Lisbon Stock Exchange, Lisbon and Paris Bourse, Paris ...
, marking its expansion into the financial markets. In 1906,
Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...
and Émile D'Ieteren, grandsons of Jean-Joseph D'Ieteren, commissioned the construction of a new premises on Rue du Mail/Maliestraat, which featured an 'ultra-modern workshop' dedicated to bodywork activities. As the company thrived, the premises were expanded and remodeled in successive stages to accommodate its growing business. The company expanded further in 1931 by becoming the official distributor for several prominent U.S. automobile brands, including
Studebaker Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Man ...
,
Pierce-Arrow The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was an American Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive Luxury vehicle, luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manuf ...
, and Auburn. In 1935, D'Ieteren added automobile assembly to its operations, setting up plants for assembling vehicle chassis and bodywork sourced from Studebaker factories. This solidified the company’s position in the international automotive supply chain and contributed to its ongoing growth and diversification. As D'Ieteren continued to evolve, it transitioned to manufacturing car bodies in the early 20th century, with products exported internationally. It later expanded into the assembly and importation of cars and trucks, eventually becoming a significant player in the global automotive sector. In 1948,
Pierre D'Ieteren Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
signed a contract to import vehicles made by the
Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, engines and turbomachinery. Headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxon ...
and agreed to assemble Volkswagens under license. Construction of a new factory on the south side of Brussels began in October 1948, and by 1949, the first cars were being produced. The factory, which was later sold to Volkswagen in 1970, is now known as
Audi Brussels Audi Brussels (before 2008 known as Volkswagen Vorst or Volkswagen Forest) was an Audi manufacturing plant located in Forest, Belgium, Forest, Belgium, a municipality located in the south-western part of the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region. I ...
. D'Ieteren launched its car rental business in 1956 with Dit'Rent-a-Car, a short-term vehicle rental service, which was licensed to Avis two years later. In 1989, D'Ieteren expanded its global footprint by acquiring
Avis Europe Avis Europe plc is a United Kingdom-based company which holds the licence to operate the two main vehicle rental brands of Avis Budget Group (Avis Car Rental and Budget Rent a Car) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as Asia in the c ...
, a leading short-term vehicle rental company. The company also began importing and distributing other brands of the Volkswagen Group, including
Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
,
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...
,
SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...
,
Cupra Cupra may refer to: * Cupra (marque), an automobile brand owned by the Spanish company SEAT ** Cupra Racing, a car racing team owned by SEAT * Cupra (goddess), a chthonic fertility goddess See also * Cupra Marittima, a commune in Marche, ...
, Skoda,
Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of Luxury vehicle, luxury cars and Sport utility vehicle, SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Crickle ...
,
Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...
, and
Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. ( , ), usually referred to as Lamborghini or colloquially Lambo, is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its su ...
. It also distributed Yamaha products until 2020. In the 1960s, the D'Ieteren decided to expand its registered office due to the continuous growth of its activities. This expansion took place in two phases, with additional workshops gradually being added to the central part of the site. The office and commercial building on Rue du Mail, built between 1962 and 1967, was designed in a
modernist style Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architecture wa ...
with a functionalist slant by architects René Stapels, Robert Bardinet, B. Lefèvre-Feragen, Lemaître, and Jamar. In addition, an industrial building on , originally built in modernist style by architect Fernand Baudoux in 1956, was expanded towards Place Albert Leemans/Albert Leemansplein by René Stapels in 1963. The facade was heavily remodelled, losing much of its original design. In 1969, Stapels proposed the renovation of the garages for car maintenance, which included an underground car park, an elevated car park, and an interior street, along with new spaces for services, all aimed at occupying the entire site along Rue du Prévôt/Provooststraat. D'Ieteren acquired
Belron Belron International Limited is a British-South African vehicle glass repair and replacement group operating worldwide across 34 countries and employing over 25,000 people. Headquartered in Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom, Brands Belron's brands ...
in 1999, the world leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement. Belron operates in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
under the brand names Carglass and Autoglass (
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
), in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
(
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
) as
Safelite Safelite Group, Inc. is a Luxembourg provider, operating in America, of automotive glass repair and replacement services, wholesale automotive glass sales, along with insurance claims management, based in Columbus, Ohio. Safelite was being sued ...
and Speedy Glass, in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
under the brand name ''O'Brien'', and in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
under the brand name ''Smith & Smith''. In 2011, D'Ieteren withdrew from short-term vehicle rental by selling its 59.6% stake in Avis Europe to Avis Budget Group. In 2016, D'Ieteren acquired Moleskine. In 2018, D'Ieteren strengthened its investment capacity by selling a minority 40% stake in Belron to the international investment company CD&R. In 2021, D'Ieteren carved out its vehicle distribution and retail business into a new fully-owned subsidiary. The two businesses, until then part of D'Ieteren SA/NV, became two separate entities: D'Ieteren Group and D'Ieteren Automotive, each receiving a new graphic identity and logo. That same year, D'Ieteren Group announced the acquisition of a 40% stake in Thermote & Vanhalst. Headquartered in Waregem, Belgium, TVH Parts is a global leader in the independent distribution of aftermarket parts for material handling, construction & industrial, and agricultural equipment, present in 26 countries across all continents. In 2022, D'Ieteren Group acquired Parts Holding Europe (PHE), a Western European leader in the independent distribution of vehicle spare parts, present in six countries:
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
,
The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
,
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, and
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.


Activities

The group activities consists of five different branches. # D'Ieteren Automotive imports and distributes Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Seat, Cupra, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maserati vehicles across Belgium. #
Belron Belron International Limited is a British-South African vehicle glass repair and replacement group operating worldwide across 34 countries and employing over 25,000 people. Headquartered in Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom, Brands Belron's brands ...
(94.85% owned) performs vehicle glass repair and replacement. 2,400 branches and 8,600 mobile vans, trading under 15 different brands including Carglass, Autoglass and
Safelite Safelite Group, Inc. is a Luxembourg provider, operating in America, of automotive glass repair and replacement services, wholesale automotive glass sales, along with insurance claims management, based in Columbus, Ohio. Safelite was being sued ...
, serve customers in 35 countries. # Moleskine is an Italian manufacturer, papermaker, and product designer founded in 1997 by Francesco Franceschi, based in Milan, Italy. It produces and designs luxury notebooks, as well as planners, sketchbooks, leather backpacks, holdalls, journals, wallets, various accessories, and stationery. # Parts Holding Europe (PHE) is a leader in the independent distribution of spare parts for light and heavy vehicles in Western Europe, especially in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy and Spain. # TVH (40% owned) is a parts manufacturer and retailer specialised for industrial and agricultural sectors.


References


Further reading

*ROMMELAERE, Catherine, OLEFFE, Michel, KUPELIAN, Jacques & Yvette, D’Ieteren. 1805–2005. 200 ans d’histoire, Bruxelles, 2005, Ed. : Racine & sa D’Ieteren nv, Bruxelles


External links

* {{BEL20 companies Companies based in Brussels Automotive companies of Belgium Companies in the BEL Mid Index Henokiens companies Belgian brands Companies listed on Euronext Brussels Coachbuilders Coachbuilders of Belgium