Landau Doors Ltd was originally formed as a joint venture with the renowned Haelvoet NV, based in Belgium. At the heart of this collaboration were Arni Mertens, who was leading Arni Mertens (Sales) Ltd, and the Haelvoet family, a company rooted in the craftsmanship of woodworking dating back to the early 1900s. Haelvoet, famed for producing special wooden wheels for horse-drawn coaches—known as “koetse” in Flemish—brought their woodworking expertise to the partnership.
At the time, Arni Mertens (Sales) Ltd specialised  in selling doors in bulk, with a minimum order of 1,000 doors. This scale of operation left a gap in the market for smaller, more flexible orders. With a vision to fill this gap, Landau Doors Ltd was created to stock oak wooden doors and offer them in kitchen-sized quantities. Over a bottle (or two) of Vieux Certan, Arni Mertens and Geert Haelvoet came up with the name “Landau”—the English equivalent of a type of coach—cementing the brand’s origins in craftsmanship and timeless quality.
The Landau venture quickly proved to be a success. As the company grew, it evolved into one of the most respected names in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom (KBB) industry. Eventually, the Haelvoet family’s stake in the business was bought out, and Arni Mertens (Sales) Ltd underwent further restructuring. This resulted in the formation of Landau Holdings Ltd, under which all operations were consolidated. Both Landau Doors Ltd and Landau Kitchens Ltd were eventually dissolved, leaving Landau Holdings Ltd as the sole entity.
In 2024, Landau celebrated its 45th anniversary, marking nearly half a century of excellence in the KBB industry. Now 87 years old, Arni Mertens is proud to see his company continuing to thrive, a lasting legacy of innovation and craftsmanship that began with a bold joint venture and a name rooted in tradition.