Fermob

About

Fermob is a French manufacturer of outdoor furniture based in Thoissey, in the Ain department of eastern France. The company specialises in metal garden furniture, working primarily in steel and aluminium, and is widely recognised for the broad palette of colours applied to its collections. Its name combines the French words fer (iron) and mobilier (furniture), reflecting a heritage rooted in metalworking. The brand's origins trace to a family of blacksmiths working in Thoissey, and its best-known product, the folding Bistro chair, has a design heritage dating to 1889. The Bistro chair became a fixture of the open-air cafés and terraces of Paris, where its folding form allowed café owners to store seating compactly. This historic chair remains central to Fermob's identity and continues to be produced in updated colourways. The modern company took shape in 1989, when Bernard Reybier acquired the metalworking workshop at a time when traditional iron garden furniture was losing ground to inexpensive plastic alternatives. Under Reybier, who remains the company's president, Fermob expanded through collaborations with outside designers, a renewed focus on colour and the development of new collections aimed at both residential and contract markets. The result was a transition from a small regional workshop into an internationally distributed furniture brand. Several collections illustrate the company's design-led approach. The Luxembourg range, created in 2004 by designer Frédéric Sofia, reinterprets the classic garden chairs of the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris using lightweight aluminium and curved slatted seats. The Bellevie collection, designed by the studio Pagnon & Pelhaître, combines steel and aluminium in a modular system of armchairs, sofas, tables and dining pieces. The Surprising collection, by Austrian designer Harald Guggenbichler, is built from one-piece steel wirework and is offered in both metal and teak versions. Together with the heritage Bistro line, these ranges span dining, lounging and accessory pieces. Colour is a defining feature of Fermob's catalogue. The company offers an extensive colour chart that has grown over the years to roughly two dozen shades, with new colours introduced regularly across collections. This palette is applied through a powder-coating finishing process that the company highlights as part of its environmental practices, including a paint line designed to reduce emissions. The use of recyclable steel and aluminium is presented as part of the brand's sustainability positioning. Fermob emphasises manufacturing in France, operating from its facility in Thoissey where much of its production and finishing takes place. The made-in-France origin, combined with weather-resistant metal construction, is a consistent theme in how the company describes its products. The furniture is intended for use in gardens, balconies, patios and urban terraces, and is marketed as durable enough to remain outdoors across seasons. The company serves several markets. Its core business is residential outdoor furniture, sold through retailers and design stores internationally as garden furniture and patio seating. Alongside this, Fermob operates a contract division aimed at the hospitality sector, supplying cafés, restaurants, hotels and public spaces with collections suited to commercial use. The brand has also expanded beyond seating and tables into outdoor lighting, including portable lamps such as the Balad range, as well as decorative accessories and indoor pieces. Within the broader market for French metal furniture, Fermob occupies a recognisable position based on its colourful finishes, its catalogue of named designer collections and the continued production of its historic Bistro chair. Its combination of heritage products and contemporary design collaborations has made it a frequently referenced name in the outdoor furniture and garden furniture categories. The company continues to be privately held and led by Bernard Reybier from its Thoissey headquarters.