Survival of the Fittest: Tribù

After 50 years in business, the trendsetting Belgian outdoor-furniture brand TRIBÙ celebrates its impressive track record of smart decision-making and clever product development.

By Tribù and Alyn Griffiths for

Tribù

April 23, 2017 | 10:00 pm CUT

Belgian furniture brand Tribù was a pioneer of outdoor furniture designed as an extension of a house’s interior living spaces. The products provide a sense of “discreet luxury” suited to high-end environments

According to Einstein, “the measure of intelligence is the ability to change” – a maxim that certainly holds true for businesses operating in such volatile markets as the furniture industry. Belgian outdoor furniture brand Tribù has consistently demonstrated its capacity to adapt to changing circumstances, reinventing itself several times to ensure it stays ahead of the competition.

Tribù’s origins can be traced back to 1967, when businessman Henri De Cock founded a company for importing garden furniture. Following Henri’s death in 1987, his son Lode took control and shifted the focus of the business onto producing furniture that combined discreet luxury with architectural design. Working with industrial designer Wim Segers, Lode De Cock helped to pioneer the trend for outdoor furniture that functions as an extension of a home’s interior.

As part of the brand’s 50th anniversary celebrations, five sets of ten chairs, a table and two low chairs are being produced in Indian rosewood (top image) to demonstrate Tribù’s premium manufacturing capabilities

The furniture Tribù produced in the early 1990s was a departure from the heavy wood and cheap plastic options available at that time. The Natal collection, launched in 1999, for example, featured a slender, stainless-steel frame supporting a slatted wooden seat and back that was unlike anything seen previously. In 1998, Lode changed the company’s name from NV De Cock to Tribù, which means tribe in Italian and evokes a group of people working closely together to reflect its more modern and cosmopolitan direction.

Tribù collaborates with some of the world’s leading interior designers to meet their project needs. Canadian studio Yabu Pushelberg specified the company’s Botanic Loungers and Pure sofa armchairs for the Park Hyatt New York hotel

“Bringing this kind of furniture to the market at that time was considered rather crazy,” recalls Lode’s son, Koen, who now acts as Tribù’s CEO. His brother, Tom, is the firm’s marketing director. “It was a brave thing to do, but I remember thinking even as a child that it made sense to make nice furniture for outdoor settings.”

For more than a decade, Tribù traded successfully across Europe and gradually expanded into the global market. The next obstacle occurred in 2008, when the global financial crisis devastated the outdoor furniture industry and forced the De Cock family to once again reshape its business. “It was a difficult period but it was also very interesting because it challenged us to reinvent ourselves again,” explains Koen De Cock. “As a family-owned, Belgian company, we decided to focus on what we’re really good at – targeting the high-end outdoor segment and aiming to become the best brand in this market.”

Besides using familiar materials like carefully sourced teak wood, Tribù challenges designers to identify new directions for outdoor furniture. Monica Armani’s Tosca collection (top) features a braided foam material upholstered in a waterproof sleeve

The decision to concentrate on the luxury market helped to establish Tribù as a trusted partner for designers working on prestigious projects, ranging from private residences to hotels and offices. It has supplied furniture to the several top resorts, a premium apartment complex in Singapore, outlets for Dior and Nespresso, and Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino.

The company’s new office and 1000 m² showroom in Bilzen was designed by architect Nicolas Schuybroekin and interior architect Marc Merckx to provide spaces of an equivalent standard to high-end private projects

As Tribù celebrates its 50th anniversary, it can look back with pride on several bold moves that have definitely paid off. Turnover has almost trebled since 2009, and the resulting expansion has necessitated the construction of a suitably stylish new headquarters and showroom. As part of the anniversary celebrations, Tribù has also developed a limited-edition version of the Natal collection, featuring seats made from rare Indian rosewood. Five exclusively priced sets of ten chairs, a table and two low chairs are being manufactured to represent the five continents to which this global company now exports.

Tribù remains a family business, with Lode De Cock (centre) advising his sons Koen (left), who is the firm’s CEO, and Tom (right), who is sales and marketing director. With more than 50 employees, the company is now a global operation

Looking ahead, Koen De Cock hopes Tribù will continue to grow steadily and gradually expand its product range to include lighting, umbrellas and other accessories that will allow the company to fulfil all of its clients’ outdoor needs. However, this is a firm that remains prepared to change and adapt, no matter what the future may hold. “I hope that in another 50 years we will be doing the same thing,” claims De Cock. “But perhaps in 50 years it will be so hot that no one can sit outside and we’ll only be making shades. You never know!”

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Tribù

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Bilzen, Belgium