VMC Pêche boss returns to European trade show after a quarter of a century

The man at the head of one of Europe’s top fish hook makers will be walking the aisles at a trade tackle show in the region for the first time in a quarter of a century.

Cyrille Mathieu, Managing Director of VMC Pêche, has spent 25 years working in senior management positions for the Rapala VMC hook brand in the US, Canada and Asia. He returned home to France in September last year to take charge of the business – and he can’t wait to reconnect and reassess the European market and how it is evolving.

“It will be interesting to hear first-hand what is going on in Europe and meet some of our customers and partners. A number of the factories we provide fish hooks to in Asia and the Americas are also going to be there so I will be meeting them.

“I am expecting to see a lot of people that I have not seen for a very long time. I already have a list of appointments with customers and partners which I am looking forward to. The European show is an important event for VMC Pêche. We owe it to the trade to be there and show our support to the industry.”

Mathieu says that VMC Pêche has always regarded itself as a trendsetter and takes pride in having won the most terminal tackle awards at ICAST (five) – the world’s largest fishing tackle trade show – and three at European trade shows in the past. “We take pride in coming up with innovative solutions and bringing excitement to the industry. It is part of our DNA!”

Mathieu adds: “As you would imagine, there have been a lot of technical changes in the factory in France since I last worked there as it has adopted new technologies that have made our hooks stronger and sharper. We expanded our retail, OEM and ODM offering to additional product categories. Along with the constant search for perfection, VMC has also been paying more attention to sustainability and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes. The Rapala VMC group prioritises its green responsibilities.”