Hevea

Hevea manufactures and markets waterproof and protective boots under two distinct brands: Dunlop and Viking. Dunlop is an established brand across Europe. It manufactures boots with reinforced toes for use in industrial situations, insulated boots designed for prolonged use in cold conditions, as well as traditional “Wellington” boots for agricultural uses. Viking is a marketing company that sources all of its boots from third party manufacturers in the Far East. Its boots are aimed at the leisure market and are designed for everyday wear as well as for walking, hiking and outdoor pursuits. Viking operates in the Nordic region only. GEM Benelux acquired Hevea from the Dutch listed company Vredestein.

Key attributes of Hevea are its strong established brands in their respective market segments and the ample growth opportunities offered by making further investment in these brands.

First step was to seperate Hevea’s Dunlop and Viking business units into two stand-alone companies to manage them individually to their fullest potential. A significant invest program for both companies has been set-up, entailing expansion of production capacity and the development of new product ranges, which programs are currently being implemented by Hevea management. In 2006 the capacity in the Dunlop factory was expanded with 25% to accommodate the strong growth. Early 2007 the Viking division was sold to Bertel O. Steen AS and Hevea will focus solely on the international growth of its Dunlop protective footwear activities.