Armstrong France will have offices in Le Puy and Vienne. The new company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Armstrong’s UK and will cover a similar range of brands, including Alliance, Lapauw and Schulthess, for the French market.

It will be headed by Alain Richard as resident director. Mr Richard has long experience of the laundry equipment market and has been an Alliance distributor.

Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems already sells into Europe but this is the first time it has set up a separate company to do so.