Romuald Donati, co-founder of Weltek, a Coverguard subsidiary: "Our new Radikal balaclava protects welders in a radically different way!"
Romuald Donati, co-founder of Weltek, a Coverguard subsidiary: "Our new Radikal balaclava protects welders in a radically different way!"
This is a major event for the small family business based in eastern Lyon. Weltek, which specialises in the manufacture of ventilated welding bonnets, is launching a particularly innovative new model. This is an opportunity for its founder, Romuald Donati, to talk about and discover this subsidiary of the Coverguard group, its expertise and our shared values.
Tell us about Weltek in a few words!
Romuald Donati: My brother Terence Donati and I set up the company in 2003. At the time, we were importers of American welding protection equipment. When this manufacturer was bought out, we decided in 2013 to start manufacturing our own balaclavas. The parts are made in Asia and we assemble them in Lyon, to order. In just a few months, we've gone from exporting 0% of our production to almost 45% today.
Why did you specialise in the manufacture of ventilated balaclavas?
Romuald Donati: In recent years, we have seen a real increase in awareness among professionals of the dangers of welding. Organisations such as Carsat and the occupational health service are doing a great deal to educate people about the harmful particles present in workshops and body shops. Especially among the younger generation. A whole new market has sprung up around ventilated bonnets, with real demand and needs. Yet this is not compulsory PPE in France. But just imagine: at Weltek, we've gone from 500 ventilated bonnets in 2010 to almost 10,000 today! For the past 3 or 4 years, we've been focusing 100% of our research and development on respiratory protection for welders, so we're now able to offer a ventilated bonnet at an affordable price. It's a first.
"The Radikal balaclava is our biggest innovation since the Covid and the first product linked to our collaboration with Coverguard."
You've just launched a brand new model: the Radikal balaclava. How is it innovative?
Romuald Donati: This balaclava brings together all the advantages we've been looking for in other models in the past. We've added two or three extra features that have never been seen before on the European market. With this new integral bonnet, welders can breathe more easily, since they breathe air filtered by assisted ventilation, powered by a battery on the belt. The electronics indicate how clogged the filter is, and when to change it, so that you can continue working without worry. The welder is also protected from the outside air by a fabric seal around the face. So nothing can get inside the bonnet or into the lungs, neither welding particles nor contaminants. All this is done in an optimised way, so that the weight of the balaclava and its restrictive nature are forgotten as far as possible. What's more, at Weltek, we manage the entire after-sales service, as we handle assembly and spare parts in-house.
With this new product, we're continuing what we've always done: offering PPE that complies with European standards and offers a relatively high level of quality, while maintaining a fairly substantial price differential compared with the major players. We like to say that our Radikal balaclava is a real serious alternative. I can't wait to see it on the market, it's an event. It's both our biggest new product since the Covid and the first product linked to our collaboration with Coverguard. It's not just an addition to the range, it's really a radically different product!
In terms of design too?
Romuald Donati : This is a very important factor in the success of this product. I'm not talking about commercial success here, but about what's important to us at Weltek: the fact that welders protect themselves and wear their PPE! Of course the ventilated bonnet has to be attractive, with a little 'wow' effect. That was even part of our specifications. Here too, our bonnet had to be radically different.
"Our ambition is to draw on our mutual expertise to develop a number of new products".
Developing PPE that protects professionals as well as possible, without adding constraints, so that they can express their full potential... that's what has united you with Coverguard for a number of years now!
Romuald Donati: Exactly, which is why we joined the Group in 2022. We were in the middle of designing our ventilated bonnet. And Coverguard didn't have one in its welding range. So we came up with an incredible complement. And vice versa. Our ambition is not just to put our products in the same catalogue, but to use our mutual expertise to develop a number of new products. We have worked together on what we have called a "welding vertical", combining the best of our two worlds. In particular, we will shortly be setting up a session devoted to the welding professions within Coverlab. Weltek would never have been able to bring together manufacturers, distributors, users, representatives from Carsat, doctors, physiotherapists and welders around the same table to think about PPE that is easy to wear and effective. It's all very interesting. The launch of this "welding vertical" is scheduled for October 2025.
In short, we both made the right choice at the right time. We had a real complementarity and common interests.
And shared values too!
Romuald Donati: Yes, there was this family spirit that we really liked at Coverguard. It may seem strange for a company with a turnover of 200 million, but there has always been this approach, with very direct relationships and close proximity. Since March 2022, we've seen a great synergy. In particular, we benefit from their expertise and knowledge in marketing, accounting, finance and logistics. This has enabled us to make a lot of progress and is pushing us to go even further. As a small business, we had reached a glass ceiling in terms of both exports and business development. Thanks to Coverguard, we now have offices in several countries and distribution networks.
"Respiratory protection remains our guiding principle".
A radically innovative balaclava, a complete range of welding products... What's next for Weltek within Coverguard?
Romuald Donati : We are in the process of developing our position in the new manual laser welding market, which is revolutionising the business. We were lucky enough to anticipate this, and today we're in the certification phase in Germany. So we'll be able to launch it as soon as the autumn comes around, adding to our welding protection range.
Alongside this, we are going to draw on our expertise in assisted ventilation and that of Coverguard in the PPE market to move into applications such as painting, surface treatment, sandblasting, pharmaceuticals and so on. So we have this 2nd area of development which will enable us, with a few modifications to the products we master, to offer a complete new range of headgear with respiratory protection as the common thread.
