Since the beginning of 2024, the well-known family-owned company Niko from Sint-Niklaas has founded a separate and autonomous division located in Antwerp. The activities related to building automation, sensors, and access control are consolidated under the division name WYGWAM at Desguinlei in Antwerp. "It's a deliberate strategy to separate these activities from the switching material market," says Jo De Backer, Executive Director of Andhers (formerly Niko Group).
"Each of the two markets require a unique approach. The switching material market is an established and conservative one, with a traditional sales channel. On the other side, the building automation market is evolving rapidly, with numerous smaller players ranging from traditional one-off hardware sales by established companies to recurring business models though start-ups. We are confident that this new approach will help us achieve our mission to create future-proof buildings that are not only functional, but also seamlessly align with the individual wishes and requirements of our customers."
- Jo De Backer, Executive Director Andhers
New name and new location for 'building automation and sensors'
The division specializing in 'building automation, sensors, and access control' has left the site in Sint-Niklaas and has relocated to a new office space in Antwerp since January 2, 2024, under the leadership of Koen Pepermans as CEO of Wygwam. "Building automation is currently experiencing rapid developments in hardware, software, data management, and usage. As a new division with a strong focus on this market, we will continue to focus on innovation and strengthening our future and market position. Our sales teams in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Slovakia will remain dedicated to providing our full product range, ensuring continuity for our wholesale partners. We maintain one point of contact for our customers, regardless of internal changes. For our international markets beyond Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Slovakia, where the primary focus is on building automation and sensors, we will operate under the new identity of Wygwam moving forward." - Koen Pepermans
The new CEO
Koen Pepermans founded his own company in 1989 with a focus on system integration and home automation within the electrical sector. After a merger with an American partner, this grew into Vantage Controls, active in Home & Building Automation and Lighting Control. In 2006, Koen sold the company to the French group Legrand SA. Within Legrand, Koen continued to lead this business until 2017 actively participating in global strategic marketing. After that, he became self-employed and advised companies on cloud-based home automation and IoT. Since 2018, he was VP Global Sales & Business Development at Cool Automation, an Israeli startup active in IoT Controls, HVAC and Energy Management with a new development in Cloud Solutions and SaaS business. Koen lives in Antwerp, is married and has three sons.
