Stone newsletter. April and May 2019
Marbrerie of the East in France. More than 30 years of existence
For 31 years, the Marbrerie de l'Est has provided tiling, sandstone, granite, etc., individuals and professionals of Moselle-Sud. The company makes the screed, the laying sometimes. Between big and small building sites, and the retail sale, the company knew to pass between the drops of the crises. To become a reference
Denis Bents founded the Marbrerie de l'Est in 1988. The former member of the local music group Evasion has earned a reputation for choice in the flooring industry.
In 31 years, how many individuals and businesses have crossed the doors of this large store specializing in flooring, located behind large drying towers in Lorquin? If the number is not listed, the durability of the Marbrerie de l'Est testifies to the quality of its know-how. "We have never really advertised," smiled the manager, Denis Bentz, installed behind his desk of course consisting of a slice of marble.
In the walls that house some 4,000 m² of storage and sales space, there are thousands of references, "for all prices," says the boss. "But I only sell tiles with a good rating Upec (wear, punching, water, chemical agents)," he says. With great speeches, he prefers the satisfaction of the customers and a tiling which will pass the pangs of the time. This is his best communication plan.
Founded in 1988, the Marbrerie de l'Est is housed in the former premises of the Weiler kitchens in Lorquin. Originally from Walscheid, Denis Bentz was looking for a large, moderately priced building, so as not to pose financial problems in the accounts of his fledgling business.
"I had a partner for the first two years. We created everything from scratch, "says the entrepreneur. Then he continued alone. The adventure was intense and the nights were short. "At the time, between the time we decided to start and the opening of the store, barely three months have passed," he recalls. His years as foreman at the marble mill Niderviller had allowed him to acquire legitimacy in the middle. It remained to create the structure, to find the machines.
"I knew how to surround myself with employees who I could trust, it's really important."
During the short preparation phase, Denis Bentz and his partner left for the Vosges. They had a phenomenal stroke of luck. "We came across a second-hand debtor for 45,000 francs." The machine is still there. "She never broke down," the boss marvels. Others, more recent, have joined since.
Two employees were hired at startup. It was necessary to find the building sites: outside the town hall of Réding, it was them. What to carve a reputation. More recently, they took care of the grounds of the Sarrebourg funeral home, the Walscheid retirement home, and so on. Without rejecting smaller projects or advice and sales to individuals.
Today, looking at the years in the mirror of the time, Denis Bentz still wonders how he was able to do all this. The unconsciousness of youth certainly has its share of responsibility. "I do not count the hours either. And he knew how to surround himself with "employees whom I could trust, it's really important".
After 31 years of existence, his company is adapting to the passage of time: customers who are keen on environmental protection will even be able to discover a range of tiles made of recycled metal, solar panels, etc. We are not stopping progress at the Marbrerie de l'Est.
Renewal of operation of a quarry, in France
The renewal of exploitation of the Bois d'Atré quarry has been authorized for a period of 30 years. The prefectural decree is searchable in Saint-James town hall.
By an order signed on February 5th, the prefecture of La Manche authorized the Sarl "Granit d'Atré" to "exploit an open pit quarry of granite, ...
Breton granite and its IG
Despite its reputation for quality, Breton granite is difficult to market. Foreign competition is raging. Breton granitiers rely on regional certification to return to the front of the stage. A Breton identity card to ensure the future.
In the Dinan basin (22), three yellow granite companies closed in less than a year. The indestructible granite breton is it at this point in decline of speed? "It's not so much the quarries that disappear, explains the president of the Breton granitiers, it is especially the factories of transformation. About fifty in fifteen years have closed one after the other. It's a catastrophe. That's more than 1,500 fewer jobs in SMEs, the largest of which today has about a hundred jobs. " For Jean-Marie Bégoc, the report is bitter: "We lack of building sites, it's like that after each election. But this time it's worse than usual with the decline in state endowments. And foreign competition is tough.
Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish
In France, granite is little used in facade cladding, it is rather confined to roads and funerary monuments. For curbs, pavers and other pavements, Chinese products have managed to prevail for several years, despite protests from users. "In Brest, for the tram, we had to fight to get a third of the yard. The Chinese pavement was until 2013, 30% cheaper, despite the cost of transport. Since then, parity with the dollar has changed the game and Chinese granite has increased. Its rating has also dropped due to poorly delivered orders (bad formats) or disintegration of stone as in this German station that had to partly deconstruct. However, the Bretons are not happy, they must now face European competition: the Portuguese low-paid labor and Spain who has invested European funds in its factories. Not to mention that the Chinese continue to offer unbeatable prices for funerary monuments ready to pose.
The "Geographical Indication" file is accepted
What future for Breton granitiers? Give up the regional stone in colors blue, white, yellow and pink? Shaping Chinese granite blocks shipped from Xianmen, the "Chinese Rungis" of granite? Granitiers have not said their last word. "The public owners seem attentive to the local preference. We recently obtained a section of the tram in Paris. The elect support us. There is an awareness of jobs and the quality of the material, "remarks Christian Corlay, Secretary General of Unicem Bretagne (the National Union of Quarry Industries and Building Materials). To favor the regional granite, the tenders introduce more and more often environmental criteria (bad for the granite of importation) and quality (good for the Bretons). Still need to identify the Breton granite. Hence the desire of the granitiers to obtain a regional certification with a "geographical indication" as defined in the Hamon law of March 2014 which extended the concept of PGI to non-food products. But we are ready. The association "IG Granit of Brittany", organization of defense and management, was created. At stake, fifty companies and nearly 800 jobs. "And also the notoriety of the Breton heritage. "
Sarl Jean louis Patients in liquidation since 28 01 2019 in Creuse Department, France. Specialized in the size of the granite stone size particular and MH.
If interested contact Scp Ponroy agent or by mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Le Gal marbre, France
Le Gal Marbre et Design is one of the five winners of the 2018 Audacity Awards. Its manager was awarded the "Digital Transformation" trophy for launching innovative customer relationship tools.
"The candidacy to the Audacity Awards has allowed me to look at how far we've come since 2012," says Jean-Jacques Vivier. This son of Côtes d'Armor farmers joined forces with Sylvain Le Gal five years ago, at the head of the company Gal Marbre and Design located in Montoir de Bretagne and specialized in decoration marble.
Legal Marbre relies on digital tools
The first year of eighteen months had a turnover of 2 million euros, but significant losses. Six years later, the trend reversed: "The turnover reached 2.6 million euros with a positive result," rejoices Jean-Jacques Vivier. A dozen jobs have been created to reach 24 employees. The keys to this success? "The product that is super beautiful," says the entrepreneur, "and men and women".
Seize digital tools
Jean-Jacques Vivier describes himself as "an affective", listening to those around him: "Sylvain Le Gal is my big brother, I do not take a decision without him," he says . "We also listened to our sales people to understand the needs of customers."
The desire to provide more services has resulted in the development of an online quote platform and an application dedicated to receipt reports. Thus, the professionals, 80% of the customers, carry out the steps themselves and modify the data directly if necessary. This standardization of billing saves customers and the company time. The quote conversion rate is no longer important. "The digital and the artificial intelligence are unavoidable and that interests me", underlines Jean-Jacques Vivier.
Shared recognition
These innovations earned Le Gal Marbre and Design the Audacity Award for "Digital Transformation", organized by the CARENE Saint-Nazaire Audacity business brand. "I had a lot of fun participating," says the manager. "I was very moved to receive the award, it was a good moment of recognition for the teams and for me." The € 2,000 reward was distributed to employees.
Gal Marbre et Design continues its production of furniture for kitchens and bathrooms by focusing on the improvement of its services. "Between the validation of the plans and the pose, six days pass," says Jean-Jacques Vivier, "a delay on which we worked a lot." For better planning management, one person was employed in November and a work program is shared online with clients. After years at 20% growth, the goal in 2019 is to control this figure around 10% and an organization always more comfortable and serene.
Company closing, Arteni marble works in France
The company Arteni-Le Gal, specialized in the manufacture of funerary monuments, closed its doors a few weeks ago.
This will not fail to be relieved by the many motorists who use daily the RD 155, between Fougères and the A 84.
Located in Saint-Germain-en-Coglès, the site of an area of approximately two hectares, with important buildings of granite work, is indeed on the edge of the departmental.
Arteni (Arts and techniques of granite) and the Marbrerie Le Gal, of Fougères, had merged in 2013, employing about twenty employees.
The two companies themselves had recently been taken over by the Serenium funeral group.
It is now part of the national group OGF, under the sign Dignité funéraire.
The provençal marbrerie rewarded
The Provençal marble company from France who celebrated his 70th birthday was taken over 30 years ago by Denis Riocreux.
Since then, it has grown from one to twelve employees. An exceptional result for this lover of stone who has passed crafts and tradition to the level of requirements and technologies of the twenty-first century. The machine park is fully digitized and self-financed, with an investment of € 150000 per year, the company constantly adapts its response capacity to changing demands. In terms of achievement, the company also uses the contest of designers to be at the forefront of modernity.
But this equipment is not at the expense of tradition since the know-how is patiently cultivated within society. With a very low turnover, employees stay up to 25 years, we can say that the company knows how to retain talent. She has also obtained the prestigious labels of business of living heritage and that of crafts. This innovative company with respect for tradition, whose main objective is quality, is an example that the city wanted to salute.
Sale Soliani Marble in France
Michel Dauphin, the last of the family, has just passed his hand. To retire.
For Laurent Heyser, who takes over the oldest family business of Moyeuvre-Grande, the funeral parlor and marbrerie Paquin-Dauphin, it is also a real change of course.
"I was a truck driver. Wanting to change jobs, I took a training course in 2015 at the Robert funeral home in Pont-à-Mousson. For a year, since early 2018, I worked with Michel Dauphin to perfect my experience, "he says.
Since early January 2019, the company belongs to Laurent Heyser.
Family saga
"The company was created in 1923 by Edmond Paquin, who works with his brother Augustin," recalls Michel Dauphin. "At the time, he was responsible only for the transport of coffins to the church and the cemetery ..." In 1935, he bought a business of pearl funeral wreaths and granite crosses of the city. "The carpenter who made the coffins feared for his work and created problems. That's when my grandfather decided to sell coffins. "
The Soliani marble also
The daughter of Edmond, Simone, is offered a shop at No. 35 rue Foch, for the sale of crowns and crosses. In 1953, she married André Dauphin, who began to work in the company. In 1958, Edmond Paquin retired and shared his business. His son Jean prefers to keep the coal trade. The funeral service returns to Simone and takes the name of Paquin-Dauphin funeral parlor. The funeral will become the SARL Paquin-Dauphin in 1980. Around 1995, the couple decides to sell. Michel Dauphin, one of the two sons of André and Simone Dauphin, acquires the business and moves to 33, rue Foch. He will also take over the Soliani marble shop in 1997. It is this set that he has just sold to Laurent Heyser. But the name - the funeral parlor Paquin-Dauphin - remains relevant.
Four employees, eight individual
The Paquin-Dauphin company has four full-time employees, two at the marble and two funeral homes, to which must be added eight vacant, one of which prepares the diploma of master of ceremonies. Laurent Heyser, funeral director and marble worker, is married and has four children. One of the children starts working as a temporary ... A new saga?
Mec, new splitting line
We are pleased to present you a manual splitting system for processing of large gneiss blocks. The plant is completely customized according to the customer requirements / indications
the first split, it is necessary to move the piece back for split it again in half. In order to provide this kind of handling and processing, Mec has studied aparticular moving system, replacing the tables of the machine with special chain conveyors that also pass under the blades. Furthermore, there are two movable mobile hydraulic arms, that can reach any point of the stone block. They accommodate the handling of the piece for the operator in exact and correct point, where a lot of repositioning is required. This particular stone handling system allows to obtain a constant split in exact vein direction of the material.
The splitting head of the machine, is equipped with swinging blade in order to follow the plan of the stone. Besides it, this kind of blades with their specific properties guarantee a very high quality splitting profile.
If your customers have also veined materials, even of large dimensions, and they desire to split them, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
more information This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
12 JUNE 15, 2019 Stone in Portugal
Held in Portugal since 2003, STONE - Trade Fair dedicated to the natural stone sector, is currently considered as the best show of the sector in the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal ranks 8th in the world rankings of ornamental stone producers, because of the wide variety of natural stones it contains, including marble, granite and limestone.
STONE was born and raised, in this context, with the aim of promoting and spreading Portuguese ornamental rock in foreign markets and with the greatest ambition to highlight national exports.
STONE takes place in the center of the country, in Batalha, near the limestone massif of Extremadura, in a region that has many limestone explorations and a large number of limestone extraction and transformation companies. This fact allows visitors, in addition to visiting exhibitions, the opportunity to visit quarries and business premises.
Main sectors
// Natural stone
// Blocks
// slabs
// Finished products (flooring and coatings, fireplaces, kitchen and bathroom counters, sculptures and decorative panels)
// Machinery and equipment for the extraction and treatment of stone
// Accessories, tools, abrasives and other products for stone work
// Software and support services for the industry
// Press and associations
more information This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
