Building disinfection expertise in Luxembourg
Founded in 2020, BB Distrilux develops and manufactures solutions for air purification, surface disinfection and professional cleaning at its site in Foetz. Established during the public health crisis, the company has since considerably expanded its activities.
In four years, it has grown from four formulations to around sixty. This development has been driven by a versatile team, an in-house laboratory and a shared ambition: to provide effective, safe and environmentally responsible solutions.
The early days: an industrial project born during the public health crisis
The story of BB Distrilux began in 2020 at the initiative of Laurent Andres, a French investor already involved in developing environmentally responsible products. With several companies already operating in Luxembourg, he wanted to establish a new industrial project there. At the time, the Covid-19 crisis had placed disinfection and air quality at the centre of public concern. At the heart of the project was hypochlorous acid, a compound whose disinfecting properties offered the basis for a new range of products.
“Our investor wanted to develop safe, environmentally responsible products. Against the backdrop of the public health crisis, setting up a business dedicated to disinfection and improving air quality was an obvious step,” explains Jean-Marc Lamorte, Sales and Marketing Director at BB Distrilux.
Following an initial research and development phase, the Foetz plant was established in 2021. The company brought together a multidisciplinary team with expertise spanning science and technology, operations, sales and marketing.
From four formulations to around sixty
BB Distrilux initially focused on solutions designed to improve air quality. But as the immediate demands of the public health crisis receded, the company faced a new challenge: how to turn expertise developed in response to an exceptional situation into a broader and more sustainable business.
The answer was diversification. BB Distrilux expanded its portfolio under the MEDIAIR brand to include solutions for air purification, professional disinfection and cleaning, alongside products designed for the automotive sector, hospitality, professional cleaning and animal care.
“We have grown from four formulations to around sixty in the space of four years. This represented a considerable amount of work, but it has enabled us to diversify our business and meet a wide range of professional needs.”
The company has also extended its manufacturing capabilities to private-label products. With four bottling lines, BB Distrilux can adapt its production to different formulations and packaging requirements, providing customers with a bespoke manufacturing and packaging service
An established technology adapted to today’s needs
Hypochlorous acid lies at the heart of the company’s first product ranges. Although the compound and its disinfecting properties have been known for more than a century, turning it into a product suitable for storage, distribution and professional use presented a technical challenge.
Hypochlorous acid acts rapidly but can also lose its properties relatively quickly under certain conditions. BB Distrilux therefore focused its initial research on stabilisation, looking not only at the formulation itself but also at the manufacturing process, water quality, electrolyser membranes and packaging.
“Our initial research focused on stabilising the product to make it commercially viable. We worked on the manufacturing process, water quality and the electrolyser membranes, as well as on the containers, since the product must be protected from UV light,” explains Jean-Marc Lamorte.
According to the company, the resulting technology combines professional-grade disinfection with an approach designed to limit risks for both users and people present in treated spaces: “Our approach is genuinely based on risk-free disinfection. We aim to deliver professional-grade effectiveness while protecting both the people applying the products and those working in the treated premises.”
Start-up agility combined with industrial capabilities
Today, BB Distrilux’s 2,800 sq. m site in Foetz brings development, preparation, mixing and bottling under one roof. It also houses the company’s own quality laboratory, headed by Corine Cluzant, Technical and R&D Manager, who has been involved in the project from the outset.
Keeping these capabilities in-house allows the company to move relatively quickly from identifying a customer need to testing and developing a potential solution. The sales team brings challenges encountered in the field back to the laboratory, where formulations and application methods can be tested and adapted accordingly.
“When a customer presents us with a specific challenge, we can analyse it, conduct tests in our laboratory and propose a bespoke solution. We have retained the agility of a start-up while benefiting from genuine industrial capabilities.”
That combination of flexibility and in-house expertise is also reflected in the team itself. BB Distrilux employs between nine and eleven people, depending on activity levels, with employees working across and understanding different stages of the business, from product development to manufacturing and marketing.
“Almost all of us joined at the same time, and 80% of the people who were here at the start of the journey are still with the company. This has created a strong family spirit and a genuine collective understanding of the business.”
Made in Luxembourg: a mark of trust and quality
For BB Distrilux, developing and manufacturing its solutions in Luxembourg is more than a question of location. It is also part of how the company positions its products and the industrial expertise behind them.
BB Distrilux was awarded the Made in Luxembourg label in December 2021. For Jean-Marc Lamorte, the label not only recognises the origin of the company’s products but also provides a way to highlight the expertise developed at its Foetz site and strengthen trust in the brand.
“We wanted to obtain the label very quickly because it adds real value to our products. It is a strong brand, supported by people who take a genuine interest in companies and how they operate.”
This recognition also supports BB Distrilux’s international ambitions. Although around 80% of its invoices are currently issued in Luxembourg, the company is preparing to expand further into France, Belgium and Germany. After several years focused heavily on research, product development and diversification, BB Distrilux now sees itself entering a new stage of growth.
“For a long time, we felt as though we had an aircraft ready to go but still grounded on the runway. Today, it is ready for take-off.”
Jean-Marc Lamorte sums up the company’s mindset behind this new phase in three words: “Courage, ambition and success. It takes a great deal of courage, considerable ambition and the determination to make success happen.”
