Belgian wood heating expert combines innovation and renewable energy. With its wood or pellet stoves and wood inserts produced in Belgium, Stûv exports customised heating solutions combining performance, design and durability. Stuv, the Belgian expert in individual wood and pellet heating, celebrated its 40th anniversary in Bois- de-Villers on 15 June 2023. The Namur group is one of the world leaders in the sector. By leveraging their sense of innovation, they help build a sustainable future. On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, Stûv welcomed some 400 commercial and technical partners, as well as public and political figures to the site of the Citadel of Namur. This was an opportunity for the guests to (re)discover an impressive success story as well as its new flagship, the Stûv P-20S pellet stove.
It didn’t exist, it had to be invented.
The story began with an observation in the early 80s, recalls industrial designer Gérard Pitance: “After experiencing the oil crisis and several oil spills like that of the Amoco Cadiz, I could not accept the idea of heating my future house with
gas or oil, especially since we had a natural fuel around us wood. As I explored the available solutions, I quickly realised that what I wanted didn’t exist. So, I decided to create it.” This first wood stove earned him compliments and expressions of interest from his friends, his visitors, and his contacts. The message is clear: there is market demand.
To introduce itself, the Namur start-up choose an appropriate name on both sides of the linguistic border. Stûv recalls the Flemish word “stoof” (pronounced “stuff” in patois) and the Walloon “stouve”: both mean “stove”.
Proximity makes it possible to “stick” to the desires of users. Today, the company has three production sites: Bois-de-Villers, Thuin and finally in Floreffe where the R&D centre is located. Stûv designs, manufactures and markets individual wood and pellet heating solutions: stoves and inserts. With a constant approach: “The quality, design and performance of our products are key priorities,” explains Jean-François Sidler, CEO of Stûv. The same goes for after-sales service.
A company conquering the world.
Since its foundation 40 years ago, Stûv’s success is clear to see. From five people at the beginning, the company grew to 50 and then to 100 employees. Today, it has 140. And a dozen additional positions should be created in the coming months to cope with the increase in demand. In Belgium and abroad. “We export to more than 15 countries,” says Jean-François Sidler, mainly in Europe, but the success on the North American market led us to open an office, then an assembly plant in Canada. Further developments are being studied for the future. Thus, the growing popularity of our products in Australia could lead us to create a subsidiary there.”
The numbers are green. Faced with sharp increases in energy prices in recent years, consumers have a renewed interest in a fuel that we have in large quantities around us. Stûv’s turnover grew by 30% in 2022. For 2023, forecasts are for growth of 15%, which would allow a turnover of 40 million euros. “In Belgium, forests are managed sustainably,” says Jean- François Sidler. Wood is a real source of local and renewable energy. With a major advantage: the CO2 and fine particulate emissions of our wood and pellet stoves are significantly lower than those of existing heating systems. Whether they run on gas, oil or electricity. It is not said often enough: wood is now the main source of renewable energy in Europe, far ahead of solar and wind energy.”
Innovating for comfort and durability.
Gérard Pitance, founder of Stûv, agrees: “Since the beginning, our efforts have focused on optimising combustion as well as constantly reducing emissions. One of the latest fruits of our innovations is the P20-S pellet stove. It generates CO2 and fine particulate emissions close to zero. In fact, it exceeds the expectations of the European ECODesign 2022 standard. This result is essential. The device is more than a success in terms of aesthetics and comfort. The flame that illuminates the living room is one aspect of it. High heating performance is another. The resulting total respect for our environment is a third. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, Stûv is driven by this desire to innovate technologically by taking a sustainable approach.”
About Stûv. Stûv SA is a Belgian company that designs, manufactures and markets individual wood and pellet heating solutions, aimed at magnifying the fire, both functional (heating) and emotional (beauty, aesthetics and conviviality). To do this, Stûv constantly imposes a strict line of conduct based on creativity, design, the quality of the products developed and their adequacy to the expectations and needs of consumers, while attaching great importance to sustainability and human values. Stûv represents 140 direct jobs and as many with its subcontractors. The company has an annual turnover of 35 million euros, produces some 15,000 stoves a year, 80% of which are for export.
For more information: Stuv UK 07786864831, sarah@stuv.co.uk