In 1950, Gert and Odette Noël founded the company “NMC – Noël Marquet et Compagnie” by combining their name with that of their then-partner.

Driven by his curious spirit, Gert developed an early desire to create his own products together with his teams. Prior to this, he had acquired extensive experience as a businessman in the import and marketing of household products.

From the very beginning, the entrepreneurial spirit was at the forefront—always in search of innovation and continuous growth. Together with their teams, the Noël family was among the pioneers in the development of foaming and extruding synthetic foam at their plant in Eupen (Belgium).

This marked the beginning of the NMC Group’s success, as it rapidly evolved into an internationally active industrial group.

In the 1980s, the second generation took over the company’s leadership. In 1982, Yves Noël was appointed head of the NMC Group, while his brother Marc drove the establishment and development of the U.S. subsidiary.

In the late 1990s, the second generation decided to go their separate ways. Marc Noël took over operations in the U.S., while Yves, Dominique, and Isabelle Noël consolidated their majority stake in NMC into the newly founded company “Nomainvest.”

Today, NMC offers a broad range of foam products for applications in insulation, decoration, the transportation industry, the automotive sector, and construction. The NMC Group operates numerous production facilities from England to Finland to Brazil. Currently, the Group employs approximately 1,600 people and is projected to achieve consolidated revenue of around 310 million euros in 2025.

In 2000, the NMC Board of Directors, chaired by Yves Noël, decided to entrust day-to-day operations to an external manager. Since then, a Compensation Committee, an Audit Committee, and independent board members have formed the foundation of sound corporate governance, to which the family attaches great importance.

Since 2002, Nomainvest has pursued a strategy of diversifying the family’s assets, combined with the goal of supporting the regional economy. In the early years, Nomainvest invested in OstbelgienInvest, InvestSud, and Ceran, among others, while continuing to manage its historical real estate portfolio. With the same open entrepreneurial spirit, Yves Noël and his sisters decided to open up the capital to another entrepreneurial family. In 2004, the Jolly family became a strategic partner of the Noël family.

In the years that followed, Nomainvest invested 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 established a family pact early on to ensure the company’s continuity, Yves, Dominique, and Isabelle Noël, together with their partner Bernard Jolly, decided to involve the next generation. Starting in 2006, an annual family forum was organized for this purpose, which quickly led to the drafting of a family charter.

This charter outlines the shared values of the family members and governs their relationships within Nomainvest.

Originally led by Yves Noël and Bernard Jolly as a two-person team, Nomainvest has evolved into an active investment firm. Starting in 2017, the team was expanded to include investment managers to grow the investment portfolio and provide targeted support for the portfolio companies’ development.

In 2022, after reaching retirement age and following 44 years with the company, Yves Noël steps down as President of NMC. External President Miguel Kohlmann assumes the chairmanship of the Board of Directors. Catherine Noël, a member of the third generation, is appointed Vice President.

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

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

The Family Charter has been 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 visits and training programs and is being specifically prepared for their future role as responsible shareholders.