Bruno Pan Lopez succeeded his father at the Pan Lopez marble factory in Mauriac
In 1965, André Pan Lopez, from Bordeaux, arrived in Mauriac. He entered the General Marble as a workman. After passing a CAP from tile-maker to free candidate, André Pan Lopez created a company that quickly specialized in marble. After a few years in the Rue d'Enchalade, it was the first to settle in the newly industrialized area of Avenue Augustin-Chauvet.
In 1977, the couple developed their business by opening a funeral warehouse on rue Marmontel. Simone takes care of the reception and the sale whereas André takes care of the sites.
Bruno, meanwhile, trains as a stonecutter at the lycée des métiers du bâtiment in Felletin (Creuse). He adds a complementary mention of sculpture and engraving that he obtains in Remiremont (Vosges). The young man cultivates the passion of stone and translates it: "To pose it is one thing, to know how to work it is another".
It is natural that he joined the family business after his military service in 1986, and completed his training in contact with his father. "He knew how to do everything and I wanted to do everything."
In 1990, when the State abolished the communal monopoly of funeral services, the Pan Lopez family took over and the business grew rapidly. The store on rue Marmontel is transferred to its present location, at number 2 Rue de la République. Over the years, the workforce has grown to seven employees.
The year 2000 marks a turning point with the opening of the funerarium. The initiative is a bit of a bet, at a time when families have a tradition of keeping their deceased at home, right up to the funeral. "We went very slowly," recalls Bruno Pan Lopez. We proposed this service as a possible solution. " A choice that today sounds like an obvious, because passed in the manners.
Manners of which the marble-maker notes the evolution. "Granite has virtually replaced the Volvic stone and now, thanks to computer science, people can visualize and choose models of tombstone."
If Bruno Pan Lopez likes the trade he has chosen, it is worth his trouble: "To do it, you need a heart behind the carcass. We accompany people in the worst moments and it's not always easy to cash in. " So, the entrepreneur feels the need to be surrounded "My family, buddies and sport," he enumerates. I am like a Saint Bernard who is helping in the mountains. From time to time, I need the little barrel drop! "