For almost a year now, Imprimerie Caractère located in Marseille has integrated a complete finishing workshop. Last December, the company, which has a turnover of 8 million and 33 employees, acquired Faconnages Thévenon and took over its seven employees. Stéphane Chazel, head of Imprimerie Caractère, explains this choice and analyses the effects on the company.
"Faconnages Thévenon was the last independent Marseille fashion house, Apik Sud Brochage having been liquidated a little earlier, remembers the printer. He's very well equipped for stitching, folding, planing and other shaping."
Integrate the shaping to gain power and speed
This integration was an indispensable step: "Subcontracting" would have forced us to subcontract far away. And to reach our size, this integrated service is necessary. It offers opportunities for volume growth, and a simple processing facility still has technical limitations."
Today, in addition to a large production capacity, the printer has reduced its production times. "And that made it possible to keep the seven employees employed", underlines Stéphane Chazel.
Imprimerie Caractère supplies a large part of the activity of the finishing workshop, but also carries out work for its colleagues. Its new capacities have enabled it to reach a new level. "Although it's hard to quantify in this particular year, I think we've had to win a few more contracts with this service."
The next step, streamlining the entire group
The printer now plans to move the Faconnages Thévenon workshop back to the printing works. "The two workshops are 10 minutes apart. But these 10 minutes of travel require filming all the pallets. So the next step will be to streamline handling. I'm already working on this expansion project."
And concerning the evolution of the group's global turnover, Stéphane Chaze answers : "The head of Siris, a printing house in Marseilles that closed last January, joined us at the beginning of the year. This should have increased our turnover. But with the health crisis, it will finally be almost the same in 2019. So, does he have augmenté?? It depends on whether you see the glass half empty or half plein?!"
