Bover: from cinema to lighting

Joana Bover was working in the film industry when a friend asked her to design a light fixture for a house he was building. “It was a unique project, a favor for a colleague, but the result was so successful that everyone advised her to pursue a career in design and lighting,” recalls Mike Zancan, Bover’s CEO.

The entrepreneur took the plunge in 1996 and, with her designs, made a name for herself in the world of interior design. Thirteen years ago, she made the leap to the United States, first opening a branch in New York and, later, an assembly plant in Atlanta. It was in 2019 that Bover decided she could no longer continue alone. The arrival of new technologies required a significant investment to remain competitive, and the entrepreneur sold the business to the Catalan group Brand Corner, controlled by businessman Jorge Tornini.

The company employs 50 people at its headquarters in Cardedeu and 10 at a plant in Atlanta (USA).

Since then, Bover has remained as art director and has seen the business's turnover grow from €6 million in 2019 to €12.9 million in 2024. "We've grown a lot since then; we've professionalized our operations," says Zancan, who joined in 2020 after a long career at Flos, one of the largest groups in the sector.

Currently, their catalog includes more than 60 lamp families: wall lights, of course, but also pendant lights, beacons, ceiling lights, table lamps, and floor lamps. "We've positioned ourselves as a Mediterranean-style brand, and today our flagship product is our line of outdoor rattan lamps," says Zancan.

The company sells to hotels, restaurants, residential buildings, and is now entering the office world. The brand's impact is global. "Eighty-five percent of revenue comes from exports," says Zancan. The United States is the largest market, followed by several European countries such as France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The business model, Zancan explains, is based on designing all products and outsourcing production to local manufacturers. The operations center is located in Cardedeu, where around 50 people work on product design and assembly. Another 10 people work in the Atlanta warehouse, where basic assembly tasks are carried out.

Bover is working to continue increasing its portfolio of references, aiming to reach €14.9 million in revenue this year and €20 million in 2027.