A prominent and well-liked local businessman, Lano (pictured) was politically active as a member of his local municipal council. He was formerly mayor of Harelbeke but had to resign after switching allegiance from the CVP (now CD&V) to VLD. He was later elected to the federal parliament.

Lano, whose name was originally spelled Lanneau, threw himself under a train in Harelbeke, after sending an email to apologise for his absence from a planned lunch with Fedustria, the textile industry federation. Initial reports suggested that his suicide was in response to his company’s failing fortunes. The carpet industry, like most other sectors, has been hard-hit by the economic and financial crisis.

But the carpet sector has suffered a drastic fall in revenue due to the weakness of the pound (which makes exports to Britain more expensive) and a general trend away from fitted carpets, which made the UK the most important market for manufacturers like Lano. As a result, Lano ended 2008 with a turnover of €89 million (down from €101m in 2007) and a loss of €9.3m.

Lano’s response was to implement a thorough restructuring plan, which he hoped would turn the company around in 2009. Costs were cut and 60 of the company’s 500 workers laid off. The company’s range was slimmed down to concentrate on niche products such as artificial grass coverings for sports fields. “The crisis gave him a wake-up call,” a friend commented. “But the worst seemed to be behind him.”

Justice minister Stefaan De Clerck, who is also mayor of Kortrijk, said that Lano was “dynamic and talented and always good-humoured”. Innovation minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said he was “devastated”. He continued: “He brought me up in politics; he could have been my father.” Both men were present at the funeral, together with parliament speaker Patrick Dewael and former justice minister Marc Verwilghen.

Earlier this year, Lano had stepped back from the dayto- day running of the company, but his influence was still enormous. “Pierre was still the public face of the firm,” said personnel director Karel Lagast. “He was really a man of the shop-floor. The employees of Lano Carpets…a lot of them have worked here their whole lives, and that has a lot to do with the figure of Pierre Lano.”