We talk about Berthe and La Manufacture Perrin in Les Echos!
The Perrin factory is going to be sold by the family, due to the lack of an heir ready to take the reins. Its young general manager will take over this summer.
The Perrin factory has found a shoe that fits. The family SME from Montceau-les-Mines, specializing in the manufacture of socks, will cede control of its capital this summer. Its CEO, Martine Couturier, fourth generation at the helm, has no heirs wishing to join the company.
So it is Damien Schneider (thirty-three years old), the son of friends, current general manager who will buy back the family shares (65%), alongside Constance Nicaise (25%), in charge of the network of boutiques. "Our desire is to ensure the sustainability of the factory founded in 1924, with young people who share our values and want to keep the production tool in France", underlines Franck Couturier, its president, who will remain in the company like his wife.
Berthe with big feet
Perrin is one of the last sock manufacturers in France, along with Bleuforêt, Labonal, and Broussaud. Initially a subcontractor for luxury brands (Dior, Givenchy, etc.), the manufacturer then launched its own brands, Perrin, La Chaussette Française, and Dagobert à l'envers. With a high-end positioning (between 15 and 35 euros). It was the Berthe Aux Grands Pieds label, whose founder Régis Gautreau (10% of the capital) joined the company in 2003, that boosted sales. Today, the label accounts for 40% of the company's turnover, which amounted to 7 million euros in 2017 (+6%), for an operating profit of between 7% and 10%.
Digital
" Berthe Aux Grands Pieds has dusted off the world of socks, with a festive style, French manufacturing, and a new marketing concept," emphasizes Régis Gautreau . The brand was first sold at florists, hairdressers and even antique dealers to make itself known. Today, it can also be found, like the other brands of the SME, at 1,100 retailers with an offer extended to tights and sweaters.
The future owner of Perrin has defined two priority areas: developing the current network of ten stores (Nantes, Rennes, Lyon) and digital. "We are going to open three stores by the end of 2019, in Clermont, Arcachon and Cherbourg," says Damien Schneider. In Paris, two locations are under consideration." The four brands will also ramp up their e-commerce sites launched a year ago, and develop exports (6%).
A connected sock
Another major project is the manufacture of connected socks for American hospitals to prevent falls. Work carried out with the start-up, Texisense. The 4-year contract provides for the production of 20,000 pairs from 2018, reaching 100,000 in 2021. An opportunity for the SME, which employs 90 people, "to develop expertise," notes Damien Schneider. Because it was necessary to develop a process to make its yarns knitable." And new markets in sight.
The Perrin factory has found a shoe that fits. The family SME from Montceau-les-Mines, specializing in the manufacture of socks, will cede control of its capital this summer. Its CEO, Martine Couturier, fourth generation at the helm, has no heirs wishing to join the company.
So it is Damien Schneider (thirty-three years old), the son of friends, current general manager who will buy back the family shares (65%), alongside Constance Nicaise (25%), in charge of the network of boutiques. "Our desire is to ensure the sustainability of the factory founded in 1924, with young people who share our values and want to keep the production tool in France", underlines Franck Couturier, its president, who will remain in the company like his wife.
Berthe with big feet
Perrin is one of the last sock manufacturers in France, along with Bleuforêt, Labonal, and Broussaud. Initially a subcontractor for luxury brands (Dior, Givenchy, etc.), the manufacturer then launched its own brands, Perrin, La Chaussette Française, and Dagobert à l'envers. With a high-end positioning (between 15 and 35 euros). It was the Berthe Aux Grands Pieds label, whose founder Régis Gautreau (10% of the capital) joined the company in 2003, that boosted sales. Today, the label accounts for 40% of the company's turnover, which amounted to 7 million euros in 2017 (+6%), for an operating profit of between 7% and 10%.
Digital
" Berthe Aux Grands Pieds has dusted off the world of socks, with a festive style, French manufacturing, and a new marketing concept," emphasizes Régis Gautreau . The brand was first sold at florists, hairdressers and even antique dealers to make itself known. Today, it can also be found, like the other brands of the SME, at 1,100 retailers with an offer extended to tights and sweaters.
The future owner of Perrin has defined two priority areas: developing the current network of ten stores (Nantes, Rennes, Lyon) and digital. "We are going to open three stores by the end of 2019, in Clermont, Arcachon and Cherbourg," says Damien Schneider. In Paris, two locations are under consideration." The four brands will also ramp up their e-commerce sites launched a year ago, and develop exports (6%).
A connected sock
Another major project is the manufacture of connected socks for American hospitals to prevent falls. Work carried out with the start-up, Texisense. The 4-year contract provides for the production of 20,000 pairs from 2018, reaching 100,000 in 2021. An opportunity for the SME, which employs 90 people, "to develop expertise," notes Damien Schneider. Because it was necessary to develop a process to make its yarns knitable." And new markets in sight.
