Guido Dumarey
Guido Dumarey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Guido Dumarey (born 1959 in Ostend, Belgium) is a Belgian entrepreneur, known for founding and presiding over the Dumarey Group.
A mechanical engineer in automotive, Dumarey commenced his career at Michelin before transitioning to entrepreneurship in 1983.
Personal life[edit]
Dumarey lives in Sint-Martens-Latem. He is married and father of three children.
Beyond his business endeavors, Dumarey is passionate about cars and motorcycles. Through his company, GDM Motos, he engages in the restoration, purchase, and sale of classic (racing) cars, participating in various racing events.
He was sentenced by the court to six months in prison and a 160,000 euro fine[1] after a construction and environmental violation in which he used illegal interventions to damage vulnerable natural areas.[1]
Career[edit]
During the early phase of his career (1983-1991), Dumarey acquired New Impriver, a Ghent-based[2] company specializing in metal name-tags and aluminum anodization.
He later founded Punch Products[3] in 1986, expanding its electronics component and assembly operations through partnerships with Sony and Panasonic[3] in 1990. The company's growth led to the establishment of factories in the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. A partnership with Philips in 1991 resulted in the creation of Punch Electronique in Dreux, France.
Dumarey's diversification efforts between 1999 and 2004 included acquiring Stevens and constructing a new plant in Evergem. The company's plastic operations were enhanced through the acquisition of Trelleborg,[4] later known as Punch Plastics.
Punch International, listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange in 1999, initiated electronic component production in China in 2001. Further acquisitions in 2002 (Xeikon[5]) and 2004 (Prolion) marked the company's entry into color production systems and the milk robot system industry, respectively.
Global expansion characterized the period between 2006 and 2010. Dumarey consolidated his telematics companies under Punch Telematix, which was sold to Trimble in 2010. In the same period Punch International acquired ZF Getriebe[5] in Belgium, renaming it Punch Powertrain in 2008.Under Dumarey's leadership, Punch Powertrain diversified its product portfolio and expanded to Nanjing, China, in 2009, while divesting part of the stake in Punch International.[6] All remaining parts in Punch Powertrain were sold off in 2010.
In 2012, Dumarey, along with Punch Metals International, acquired the GM factory in Strasbourg, France,[6][7] naming it Punch Powerglide Strasbourg. In 2015, a daughter company was founded in Hong Kong and Tianjin, China.[8]
In September 2023, the PUNCH Group celebrated its 40th anniversary and announced a name change to Dumarey Group, consolidating all entities under the Dumarey brand.[9]
Work[edit]
Automotive[edit]
Dumarey has a long-standing passion for the automotive industry, emphasizing long-term commitment and competitiveness. Under his leadership, the Strasbourg plant became profitable again by 2016, saving approximately 1,000 jobs and making him one of France's significant employers.
In December 2015, Dumarey came to prominence in Australia, with plans to buy Holden's car manufacturing facilities scheduled to be shut down in 2017.[10] These facilities have been building the Holden Commodore and its derivatives, which are based on the GM Zeta platform and, in V6 configuration, have been using six-speed automatic transmissions produced by Punch Powerglide. As part of his "Project Erich", Dumarey intends continuing to manufacture these large rear-wheel drive cars, as premium local and export products.[11]
A pivotal moment occurred in 2020 when Dumarey Group acquired the GM Propulsion Engineering Centre in Turin, Italy, with some 750 employees[12][13]. The research center specializes in propulsion systems, serving as Dumarey's main R&D center alongside Strasbourg and Silverstone [14].
References[edit]
- ^ a b Guido Dumarey veroordeeld tot celstraf voor bouw schapenstal in Latem, De Tijd, Nov 7, 2023
- ^ Lissens, Jeroen (14 March 2006). "'Niet te veel blazen en doen waar wij goed in zijn'". De Tijd.
- ^ a b "The Dumarey Group history".
- ^ "Punch International N.V. History". March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Van Apeldoorn, Robert (April 28, 2022). "Du verre feuilleté à la propulsion verte: de l'hydrogène à Fleurus?".
- ^ a b LRM takes stake in Punch Powertrain (iepinvest.be)
- ^ "L'usine Still rachetée par le Belge Punch Metals". Le Parisien. 20 July 2012.
- ^ "Punch Powerglide boosts Asia's automatic transmission technologies". South China Morning Post. 14 March 2016.
- ^ "Le groupe PUNCH devient le groupe Dumarey - Dumarey Powerglide Strasbourg" (in French). 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ Evans, Simon (4 February 2016). "Belgian businessman Guido Dumarey wants subsidies to save Holden's Adelaide factory". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Who is the Belgian businessman looking to save Holden's Adelaide plant?". abc.net.au. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ^ "Punch Group to buy GM's propulsion engineering center". Powertrain International. 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Dumarey Engineering - About Us". 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Dumarey Flybrid - About Us". 13 May 2024.
