The Board of Directors of Belmetal, the Belgian Federation of Steel and Metal Distributors, has unanimously elected Philippe Mercier, Managing Director of Groupe Aciers Grosjean, as its new president. He replaced Vanessa Espil in this position after the recent General Assembly of the Federation and the election of a new Board of Directors.
Mercier has almost four decades of experience in transportation, automotive, logistics, and steel distribution. Since 2015, he has been the Managing Director of Groupe Aciers Grosjean in Charleroi and has held various senior positions in Belgium and France throughout his career.
He will be supported by two vice presidents: Nicolas Kamex from Van Meerbeeck Metalen and Johan Rossel from Staalhandel Rosseel.
His appointment comes at a difficult time for Belgium's steel sector, which is facing rising costs, tighter regulations, trade tensions and the need to accelerate decarbonization efforts. Belmetall represents companies that supply steel and metal products to key industries, including construction, manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure.
As a long-time member of the Belmetal Board, Mercier is also active in EUROMETAL and is a member of the Board of the Hainaut Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As President, he seeks to strengthen Belmetal's role as an industry representative, focusing on competitiveness, workforce development, and supporting the future of Belgian and European industry.
"The priority is to preserve the conditions that allow companies to invest and create jobs, while maintaining the competitiveness of our industrial base in a changing climate and regulatory environment," said Mercier.
Nicolas Caymex, Philippe Mercier, Johan Rossel
