Guido Dumarey

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Guido Dumarey
Born1959 (age 64–65)
NationalityBelgium Belgian
OccupationEntrepreneur

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 a local court to six months in prison on probation and a 160,000 euro fine[1] after a construction without a permit of a shelter for his sheep on his territory which is in a natural area. Guido Dumarey immediately appealed against the judgement. Meanwhile, the construction has been taken away.[2]

Career[edit]

During the early phase of his career (1983-1991), Dumarey acquired New Impriver, a Ghent-based[3] company specializing in metal name-tags and aluminum anodization.

He later founded Punch Products[4] in 1986, expanding its electronics component and assembly operations through partnerships with Sony and Panasonic[4] 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,[5] 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[6]) 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[6] 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.[7] 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,[7][8] naming it Punch Powerglide Strasbourg. In 2015, a daughter company was founded in Hong Kong and Tianjin, China.[9]

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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12]

A pivotal moment occurred in 2020 when Dumarey Group acquired the GM Propulsion Engineering Centre in Turin, Italy, with some 750 employees.[13][14] The research center specializes in propulsion systems, serving as Dumarey's main R&D center alongside Strasbourg and Silverstone.[15]

Dumarey, in 2021 launched Hydrocells[16], a subsidiary in Turin, focusing on hydrogen technology. The European Investment Bank approved 40 million euros in funding in 2023[17] to support automotive engines powered by hydrogen, with research conducted in Turin and Strasbourg. A strategic partnership with Renault Group (now Horse) was also established to design and promote a new generation of diesel engines[18] in 2023.

In June 2023, Dumarey Group announced the acquisition of the Italian subsidiary of Vitesco Technologies (300 million turnover, 800 employees) [19] [20]for 1st January 2024 with the goal of a higher vertical integration for its future hydrogen engines.[21]

Energy[edit]

In the energy sector, Dumarey acquired Flybrid Automotive in 2018, specializing in flywheel-based energy recovery technology. The company's innovative approach involves energy recovery during braking, with major brands like Volvo and Jaguar testing the technology. The company is headquartered at the Silverstone race track in the UK.[22]

In 2024, Dumarey Flybrid acquired Time Shift BV, a Netherlands-based company specializing in innovative battery energy storage systems (BESS) using second life batteries from electric buses and trucks. This acquisition led to the formation of Dumarey Green Power, merging flywheel and battery storage technologies to create a unique energy management offering.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Guido Dumarey veroordeeld tot celstraf voor bouw schapenstal in Latem Archived 2023-11-13 at the Wayback Machine, De Tijd, Nov 7, 2023
  2. ^ "DPG Media Privacy Gate". myprivacy.dpgmedia.be. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  3. ^ Lissens, Jeroen (14 March 2006). "'Niet te veel blazen en doen waar wij goed in zijn'". De Tijd. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "The Dumarey Group history". Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  5. ^ "Punch International N.V. History". March 25, 2024. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Van Apeldoorn, Robert (April 28, 2022). "Du verre feuilleté à la propulsion verte: de l'hydrogène à Fleurus?". Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "LRM takes stake in Punch Powertrain (iepinvest.be)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  8. ^ "L'usine Still rachetée par le Belge Punch Metals". Le Parisien. 20 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Punch Powerglide boosts Asia's automatic transmission technologies". South China Morning Post. 14 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Le groupe PUNCH devient le groupe Dumarey - Dumarey Powerglide Strasbourg" (in French). 2023-09-28. Archived from the original on 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  11. ^ Evans, Simon (4 February 2016). "Belgian businessman Guido Dumarey wants subsidies to save Holden's Adelaide factory". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Who is the Belgian businessman looking to save Holden's Adelaide plant?". abc.net.au. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Punch Group to buy GM's propulsion engineering center". Powertrain International. 24 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Dumarey Engineering - About Us". 13 May 2024. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Dumarey Flybrid - About Us". 13 May 2024. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  16. ^ "PUNCH Torino announces the creation of PUNCH Hydrocells | Propulsion solutions for a sustainable mobility for all - Dumarey Group". www.dumarey.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  17. ^ "Press corner". European Commission - European Commission. Archived from the original on 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  18. ^ "Renault Group et PUNCH Torino signent un partenariat stratégique sur les moteurs diesel à faibles émissions". Newsroom Renault Group (in French). January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  19. ^ "Press release - VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES ITALY S.R.L. WILL BECOME PART OF THE PUNCH GROUP | Propulsion solutions for a sustainable mobility for all - Dumarey Group". www.dumarey.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  20. ^ "Dumarey neemt Italiaanse fabrieken over: 'We gaan frontaal in de aanval tegen elektromobiliteit'". De Tijd. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  21. ^ "De waterstofdroom van Guido Dumarey, de Robin Hood van de autosector". De Tijd. 10 June 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Dumarey Flybrid". 3 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Dumarey Flybrid Acquires Time Shift B.V." Dumarey Flybrid. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.