“Made in France, it pays,” assures David Soulard, Managing Director of Gautier Meubles. Established in Vendée, the company created in 1960 by his uncle has been able to transform itself to become a benchmark in furniture. Originally specializing in children’s bedrooms, if you want to see the more high-quality hand-crafted beds you can visit this link, the company has made its French origin a strength. “Over the past few months, more than half of the people coming into our stores want to know more about the origin of the product, underlines David Soulard. The location of factories is an important subject for them. “ A consideration that the brand has understood and that it displays in its stores, where factory photos are exhibited.
Wood from France
The origin of the wood is also a source of many questions, but David Soulard says: “100% of our wood is French. ” The thirty species used by the brand, mainly maritime pine, comes from the Bordeaux region, Anjou and Touraine. And the made-in-France argument also convinces international buyers of the brand, which exports 20% of its production. “Even before the French, foreigners praised this hexagonal production. The health crisis has also brought to light the problems posed by a distant supply. Consumers are now more aware of the link between them and businesses in the area. ” The Covid-19 crisis has also revived the environmental considerations of the French, now more sensitive to corporate CSR policies. A reflection started a few years ago by Gautier Meubles which, for example, transports its products in bulk in order to better fill the trucks. The company also takes advantage of the almost empty container ships leaving the ports of Le Havre and Saint-Nazaire to export its production. “France imports more than it exports. Finally, we compensate for a logistical effect by filling the boats ”, explains David Soulard.
Recycling of waste and old furniture
“We also reuse our waste to heat ourselves, ” explains the managing director. For two years, the company has also been grinding its old products in order to reincorporate the raw material into new furniture. “Initially, it was complicated to put this process forward because brands often sell the idea of the nobility of materials and nobility is new, notes the general manager. What we sell is sustainability, and a product made from recycled wood is just as durable as a new product. Personalization is finally a new challenge for the company with 850 employees and 120 million turnovers in 2019. Before summer 2021, it will have a new factory in Vendée, the fourth in the department. “Consumers need to feel that the product they choose is close to their considerations,” says David Soulard. In the long term, stores will offer their customers the opportunity to immediately start the production of a personalized part.
