2021, the birth of a partnership
06 September 2021 
The past 18 months have been emotionally intense for everyone. However, the Growners' teams have managed, with unflinching resilience, to weather the chaos of the health crisis that has hit all of our societies since January 2020. January 2020 - that was when we were telling you about the beginnings of Growners, in our 'Founder Story' feature. How about we pick up where we left off?
2020: the challenge of the pandemic confirms the Growners' vision
Like many SMEs, Growners was hit hard by the collateral effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the resilience of the entire team and our specialisation within a market niche meant we were able to remain in good health. While investors were patiently waiting to see how the pandemic will change the way that offices are used, we observed that the lockdown had boosted employers' investment in their employees' wellbeing. And that is excellent news!
Employers understand that needs have changed. They are not necessarily looking for less office space but for better office space! Some companies have realised they need more space, some less. Some want to reduce the number of separate offices and increase the number of shared working spaces, while others simply want to modernise their workspace. There are many that want to leave city centres to improve access for their employees. All these trends have already been highlighted by Growners for many years.
2021, the birth of a partnership
Growners has grown significantly over the past years, reaching a new level in its development. In 2021, the company aims to maintain its strong growth and continue to actively improve its processes and structures. To do so, the team welcomed Christine Loumaye to the position of Deputy Chairman in March. The arrival of Christine from Brussels Airport Company, where she worked in a number of managerial positions, shows Growners' determination to enhance its strategic development in the long term.
Alongside Eric Bastin, CEO, who manages all operations and teams on a day-to-day basis, Christine will devote her skills and expertise to delivering structural development at Growners over the coming years. For Vincent, choosing Christine was obvious: she and Eric are complementary. After more than 20 years making Growners what it is today, Vincent wants to secure the company's long-term viability, and putting in place this operational partnership gives the founder a way of gradually stepping back.
What's next?
With the Vincent-Eric-Christine partnership at its head, Growners has already started exploring ideas to deliver strong and stable growth over the coming years. Many ideas are already on the table, and Christine's expertise, as well as her personal and professional qualities, represent a significant asset when it comes to exploring these avenues.
See you soon to find out what happens next!