In 1950, Gert and Odette Noël founded the company “NMC – Noël Marquet et Compagnie,” combining their names with that of their partner at the time.

With his curious entrepreneurial spirit, Gert had long harbored a desire to develop his own products together with his employees. He had previously acquired extensive knowledge as a businessman in the import and marketing of household products.

From the very beginning, the entrepreneurial spirit was at the forefront – always on the lookout for innovation and continuous growth. Together with their teams, the Noël family were pioneers in the development of foaming and extruding synthetic foam at their factory in Eupen (Belgium).

This marked the beginning of the success of the NMC Group, which quickly developed into an internationally active industrial group. In the 1980s, the second generation took over the management of the company. In 1982, Yves Noël was appointed head of the NMC Group, while his brother Marc drove forward the establishment and development of the US subsidiary.

At the end of the 1990s, the second generation decided to go their separate ways. Marc Noël took over the activities in the US, while Yves, Dominique, and Isabelle Noël pooled their majority stake in NMC in the newly founded company “Nomainvest.”

Today, NMC offers a wide range of products in the fields of insulation, decoration, the transport industry, the automotive sector, and construction. The NMC Group has numerous production facilities from England to Finland to Brazil. The group currently employs around 1,600 people and will achieve consolidated sales of around €330 million in 2025.

In 2000, the Board of Directors, chaired by Yves Noël, decides to entrust day-to-day operations to an external manager. Since then, a remuneration committee, an audit committee, and external board members have formed the basis of good corporate governance, which is of great importance to the family.

In 2022, Yves Noël steps down as president of NMC after reaching retirement age and after 44 years with the company. External president Miguel Kohlmann takes over as chairman of the board of directors. Catherine Noël, a member of the third generation, is appointed vice president.

With the same open entrepreneurial spirit, Yves Noël and his sisters decide to open up the capital to another entrepreneurial family. In 2004, the Jolly family becomes a strategic partner of the Noël family. In the following years, Nomainvest invests in numerous innovative and dynamic companies in the region, including Quip, Talbot, Nanocyl, Schumag, Rattay, and others.

Following the example of their parents, who had concluded a family pact at an early stage to ensure the company’s continued existence, Yves, Dominique, and Isabelle Noël decide to involve the next generation. From 2006 onwards, an annual family forum is organized for this purpose, which quickly leads to the drafting of a family charter.

This charter describes the shared values of the family members and regulates their relationships within Nomainvest.

Since 2002, Nomainvest has pursued a strategy of diversifying the family’s assets with the aim of supporting the regional economy. In its early years, Nomainvest invested in OstbelgienInvest, InvestSud, and Ceran, among others, while continuing to manage its historically grown real estate assets.

Originally run by Yves Noël and Bernard Jolly as a two-man team, Nomainvest developed into an active investment company. From 2017, the team was expanded to include investment managers in order to expand investments and provide targeted support to the portfolio companies in their development.

Between 2017 and 2025, Nomainvest acquires stakes in numerous companies such as Sprimoglass, BePharBel, New Laser, Mirmex, Isohemp, Realco, WEP, and many more.

Today, Nomainvest’s portfolio includes the historic family business NMC and a total of 27 other investments in regional, often internationally active, innovative companies from various industries and stages of development.

The family charter will be completely revised and renewed in 2025. It reaffirms the close cooperation between the partner families and their shared vision for the future.

The fourth generation is already actively involved today through participation in company tours and training programs, and is being specifically prepared for its future role as responsible shareholders.