Covid has changed some aspects of our lives. Luckily, I still have the opposite of a dog's life. ? My owners Darren and Kitty pamper me and also at the office, I am fortunately not short of attention. Over the years I've seen Transgroom, Darren and Kitty's company, grow enormously and I got to know lots of new people.
Once upon a time
The story of Transgroom begins in 1995. At the time, Darren was still living in the UK, where he was working for Petcetera, a British company specialising in the sale of professional dog grooming equipment. He did the purchasing there and, as manager, also attended dog shows. While working at Petcetera, Darren met Kitty. She was selling Tikima clothing that was initially made by her mother to Petcetera. This clothing line, by the way, was the first Transgroom brand to be created, even before Transgroom itself was established. First, the telephone sales conversations between Darren and Kitty happened occasionally, but after a while, they became more frequent, eventually blossoming into something beautiful.
Moving for love
Love knows no borders. At the end of 1995, Darren moved to Belgium. There he worked for a while as a dog groomer in the busy, well-known grooming salon of Kitty in Kortrijk. After a while, however, it became clear that his passion for sales was greater than for grooming. With the combined experience, Darren developed and published their first catalogue in 1997, then still in black and white! In early 1998, they decided to start their own business selling professional dog grooming products, with the idea of offering good products at fair prices to groomers, breeders, wholesalers and private dog owners. Kitty was able to use her years of expertise and knowledge to choose the right products and bring innovative products to market herself. After all, she knew better than anyone what groomers need! Darren on the other hand had a lot of experience with dog shows and many good contacts in the sector. So, the perfect match for a success story! In the beginning, they mainly traded scissors, clothes, combs and a few shampoo brands. In fact, before founding their own company, Darren and Kitty were already selling scissors from a well-known American manufacturer at grooming competitions and exhibitions.
Of course, every company needs a suitable name. The name 'Transgroom' was born at the Eurodogshow of 1998 in Kortrijk. One year later, in December 1999, the company was officially founded. Transgroom then did a lot of dog shows and exhibitions. Because there was always a great bustle, the girls from Kitty's grooming salon used to help out at the stand.
In full expansion
Gradually, Transgroom grew from a small warehouse in the premises of a former wood processing company with a few employees to a company located in a modern, large building with, in the meantime, more than 20 employees. Over the years, the focus within Transgroom changed and my owners adapted the company's activities. In 2002 we launched our own website. Over time, and partly due to the pandemic, Transgroom started to concentrate more and more on online sales through its webshop, where you can find thousands of quality products at interesting prices. Our dealer and distributor activities also grew significantly. Managing this growth, developing and distributing innovative products, and providing good customer service have become our main focus. Unfortunately, because of this we are no longer able to attend all the shows and trade fairs that we used to. But no worries!
Properly represented
Our products are available at many dog shows through various dealers and distributors. In the Benelux, Diergigant is our main dealer at dog shows. This online pet supplies shop supports a growing number of Transgroom brands and, of course, our most popular products.
In 2022 there are a lot of shows scheduled where our brands will be represented by Diergigant, but it remains to be seen how the current situation and covid measures will evolve. Can't wait to discover or buy our products now? Then be sure to take a look at the extensive range on our webshop.
