These neo-artisans who bring local know-how

They worked in the marketing, finance or digital media. They have dropped everything to create or resume a regional company that values a job old. Meetings.

Against all odds, Olivier Verrièle, 49 years of age, took the head of the Société Choletaise de Fabrication (SCF), a company founded in 1930, manufactures of laces, cords, jacquards, piping 100% French. Today, braiding, weaving and knitting do not have any more secrets for this former of the world of finance, which has occupied the positions of auditor or responsible for back-office in the paris region.

"In 2008, I did a skills assessment," he says. I had the impression that my work lacked meaning. I've always wanted to become an entrepreneur. So I left BNP Paribas for having the time to look for a business resume. The steps have lasted more than a year, with the support of the association, CRA (Cédants et Repreneurs d'affaires)."

"assets in search of meaning in their professional life"

The candidates for the recovery of SCF scramble. It is not the highest bidder. Yet, seduced by its profile, the ceding company chooses. Upon his arrival in 2010, the company has rapidly taken a turn towards fashion and luxury and has revised its methods of manufacturing for more responsiveness. Today, the collections are displayed at Première Vision in Paris but also in Milan, Munich...

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"I love the grace that emanates from the work, the beautiful son, traditional machines," says the new boss. The company employs about fifty people. It has doubled its volume of production and bought out a shop of lace in the Haute-Loire.

"I love the grace that emanates from the work, the beautiful son, traditional machines", Olivier Verriel, Société Choletaise de Fabrication.

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"This type of course is not unusual, points out Alexis Govciyan, director of the Institut supérieur des métiers (ISM). With the economic crisis, many assets are in the quest of meaning in their professional lives. There is a real interest for the activities on the know-how of excellence, the "made in France", the production of natural and outside the circuits of mass consumption. Markets and customers are also increasingly sensitive to it."

in Addition to the fashion and the luxury trades of the mouth, chocolate and pastry in particular, also attract more and more. The beginning of 2017, Caroline Gailly, former financial officer in a SME, and her husband Matthew, former head of project innovation in a group of commercial real estate, bought the Biscuit Happy to Dinard. These young thirty-something graduates of a business school, and parents of two young children resided in Dijon.

activities that take advantage of the French know-how

"We wanted to take over a business in the agri-food sector," explains Matthew. When we learned that this beautiful company, created in the 1950s, was going to close, it was launched. The negotiations lasted a year and a half. We've also picked a bakery to have a manufacturing workshop of more modern."

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The former owners have passed on the recipes of cakes, pure butter, with no palm oil nor dye, and preservative. Each week, these fans unpack their products on a dozen of markets on the Emerald Coast. Preserve traditional methods of production has not stopped to innovate. Thanks to their previous experiences, they have developed loyalty offers, promotions and other tips for marketing.

"We have taken a famous pâtisseriedes 1950s on the verge of closing," Caroline and Matthieu Gailly, Biscuit Merry.

JérÃ'me Sevrette

"Merchandising and management are part of the business strategy, analysis, Alexis Govciyan. It is therefore an asset to have practiced these techniques before. Today, the cabinet meeting the design and combines ancestral know-how and new technologies. The innovations of today will become the traditions of tomorrow!"

Another example: companies that take advantage of the French know-how, luxury and gastronomy in particular are often in a capacity to export but lack of adequate skills. "Corinne Jordan, former director, major accounts at Publicis, has given new life to manufacture of Digoin in 2014, tells the story of Marie-Hélène Fremont, director general of the Institut national des métiers d'art (INMA). This institution, which designs the pots in stoneware and pottery, since 1875, was on the point of disappearing. Through her journey, she has managed to modernize products while maintaining their soul, this has a real impact in the export industry."

An old dream: to ride his box in connection with nature

others prefer To outright create their activity. After graduating from business school, Veronica White, 47-year-old Parisian origin, has served for four years as a manager in operational marketing for Sodexo in South Africa. Back in Paris, she became director of key accounts in the travel business and then, in parallel, to get a MBA management and business administration. Up to this day of 2005, when she resigned to fulfill an old dream: to ride his box in connection with nature.

"I let go of heels, and Hermes scarves, and I've become a farmer!", Veronica White, firm Blue Argens

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"I let go of heels, and Hermes scarves, and I've become a farmer!" With her husband, she creates a business culture of fine lavender in the village of Argens, in the Verdon. In the village, no one has been using this lavender for forty years. "It only grows above 800 meters. It is the best in the world in the words of my father-in-law!"

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The couple designs a distillery is modern, with the aim of reviving the village and its agricultural heritage. They won the AOP (appellation of protected origin) oil of fine lavender from Haute-Provence. Today divorced, Véronique manages the case alone: it packs the hay, clearing, carrying wheelbarrows, a visit of the operation, sells its products in the shop, on the website and a few resellers. She was even inducted as a Knight of the brotherhood of the lavender. Sacred recognition!

"We contribute to the maintaining of an activity in jeopardy,"

For his part, Stephanie Maubé, 37 years old, professional, audiovisual, born on the Ile de la Cité in Paris, sees his life switch when she meets a sheep farmer in the Cotentin. It is the revelation. She decides to pass the patent professional responsible for operating agricultural courses a year and attend training provided by the organic agriculture Group.

In 2011, she tests his project with a small flock of sheep. Today, it has 13 hectares of land and a flock of 170 ewes grazed on more than 500 acres of meadows salted between the communes of Saint-Germain-sur-Ay and Geffosses, in the English Channel.

"This is a profession desacrifices, but I'm happier than in paris.It is a engagementclair and motivating", Stephanie Maubé, shepherdess.

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"I have been producing lambs AOC pres-salty Mont Saint-Michel, and I supplement with other activities: harvest of aromatic plants for the manufacture of vinegar and herbal teas, visits to the pres-salty and creation of accessories of wool sold in shops or on my blog Lacotentinemoderne.fr explains Stephanie. It is a profession of sacrifice, taking and highly regulated, but I'm much more happy and fulfilled than in Paris. With a few sheep breeders avranchins, we have created a support group informal, there are tracks, we exchange techniques. This way we contribute to the maintenance of a traditional activity threatened. This is a clear commitment and motivating."

initiatives that benefit territories

Cyril Puccia, single shipwright still present in the Haute-Savoie, is reviving a tradition of making boats for mountain lakes, missing since the 1970s. He had the inspiration during a mission on a shipyard. After having lived in Marseille, he moved to The Roche-sur-Foron, where he opened his workshop, in 2014. Previously, he completed a course in carpentry in Lyons.

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"I quickly realized that I liked working with wood but not the woodwork, had fun there. So I made an additional statement, of the shipwright, and then I left to do a tour of France to confront me about the various techniques of the trade." Today, he relies on traditional methods bending wood with steam, riveting copper, use of hemp for sealing, which allows him to restore legendary boats such as Riva, launched in the 1920s.

"I quickly comprisque I liked the travailsur wood", Cyril Puccia,shipwright.

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this will réancrer of old skills, the territories benefit from them. A Epinal, two executives in paris, one from the world of music, Pacôme Vexlard, the other of e-commerce, Christine Lorimy, bought in 2014, the Imagery and its treasures (machines, engravings) to restart it using illustrators of renown, and by implementing the products of clever way.

"In the Rhone, 56% of the artisans are frames converted, see Marie-Hélène Fremont. Villedieu-les-Poêles, in the English Channel, has seen its workshops the copper revitalised by working with designers and artists. Same thing in Lorraine, in Longwy, with the tradition of pottery. In these regions, creators or buyers are welcome."

In the skin of a glove-maker

Julien Vidal, 37 years old, an engineer, was production manager at a manufacturer of breaded fish. His girlfriend, Lydia Peron, 32 years old, a master of business administration in the pocket, worked for a transport company. Both lived in Boulogne-sur-Mer and dreamed to run their business. At the end of 2010, the couple, who has family in Aveyron, heard a workshop for glover to pick up. The company comes to be wound up.

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"We've got the heart for this craft, which once employed several thousand people in Millau." The city counted nearly 300 workshops. In June 2011, the couple created a company and form techniques of manufacturing with the help of former owners and two professionals still exercise. Her work is in the cut, it at the seam.

"today, the activity works well. Each year, we produce 3 000 paires gloves-to-measure and sewn in quilted English, sold to individuals. We are four in the workshop and two seamstresses at home. Faithful to the heritage, we are proud to perpetuate the know-how historical the Millavois," they concluded in chorus. There is only one ten workshops on a comparable basis in France. www.atelierdugantier.fr

later

The label living heritage Company (EPV) is a mark of recognition of the State, to distinguish the French companies with traditional know-how and industrial excellence: www.patrimoine-vivant.com

The INMA has data on the arts and crafts and accompanies the transmission of know-how. More than half the audience of the institute is in conversion: www.institut-metiersdart.org

The ISM is a resource centre for the arts and crafts and small business: ism.infometiers.org

The chambers of trades and crafts have a portal dedicated to the creation and resumption of business: www.artisanat.fr

The associative network Earth Link helps aspiring farmers to validate their project and to access the property: https://terredeliens.org

The CIVAM (Centre of initiatives to promote agriculture and the rural environment) with the experimentation of agricultural projects: www.civam.org

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