Author: Raphaël Tournaire

Interview with Stéphane Nicolas, Human Resources Director at TOURNAIRE.

Can you introduce yourself?

To introduce myself professionally, I have 30 years of experience as an HR manager. Since I started working, I have been in the HR field. I have worked in large French and international groups. I also have experience in small, fast-growing structures, such as start-ups. But also in family businesses. The context of the family business is not a new context for me when I joined TOURNAIRE.

Can you give us some representative figures of the HR activity at TOURNAIRE?

The TOURNAIRE Group employs about 300 people, spread over 4 sites, the main site of which is in Grasse, the historic site. This is where most of the production is carried out. There is also a relatively large site in Chalon-sur-Saône. The company also has a subsidiary in the United States and a subsidiary in Asia with a presence in Vietnam in particular.

300 employees with an average age of 45 years, 15 years of seniority. Moreover, there are problems with the transmission of knowledge because a certain number of employees are going to retire. This is an important HR issue for the company to ensure its long-term survival.

We have an internal school within TOURNAIRE with which we train operators and production staff. This is where it is important, because it is thanks to this training that we can keep the know-how in-house. It is a real know-how of the company, very specific. You don’t go to school to learn how to work at TOURNAIRE.

As far as recruitment is concerned, there are about fifteen positions to be filled, as well as work-study positions. These positions are linked to the retirement of employees. They are replacements. There is also growth in the company with the search for new profiles.

What are your objectives and HR strategy at TOURNAIRE?

I have 3 main HR objectives. The first objective is one of support and transformation. We are going to deal with subjects such as governance, the company’s strategic plan, but also subjects such as CSR. The company is obliged to transform itself on these subjects and change its operating methods a little. How do we make decisions? How do we involve all managers in the decision-making process?

The second objective is to modernise HR practices in all areas of the HR function: from recruitment to integration, from welcoming new employees to e-learning, from the implementation of an HR information system with a digital tool that allows access to more information, that is more collaborative and intended for managers, but also open to all employees.

The third objective is really to create managerial support. This is an important subject. Training is not enough. We also need to provide personal support to all managers so that they can change their attitude. This means that it has an impact on the system in which they are, on the culture of the company and on the way we operate within the company.

What do you say to a candidate to convince them to join the TOURNAIRE team?

What I really like about TOURNAIRE is that it is a family business with good human values. It is a company that is financially solid, that innovates, that is in the new technologies, that is growing, that is transforming itself and that has a playground for those who like technology, but also in the support functions. It’s a very dynamic playground with good values and a company that has a bright future ahead of it.

Interview of Jeanne Lions, President and Laurent Zeller, Member of the supervisory board

What innovation(s) have you presented?

Jeanne Lions: The first innovation that we presented, and we are very proud of it, is the Omni Plus range, which is a one-piece aluminium range. It allows us, above all, to have a competitive advantage over our current competitors. In particular in the recyclability of our products, in safety, in the ease of opening and closing these drums.
The second innovation that we presented today is our intelligent packaging. We are trying to add intelligence to packaging to enable our customers to benefit from this intelligence to better store and transport their precious materials.
Finally, among all these innovations, there is everything we call the Ecopack with our eco-responsible commitment through our cans, and aluminium is the very illustration and personalisation of this eco-responsibility.

Laurent Zeller: I would like to add something that is particularly aimed at our fragrance customers, which is all our wide-opening product ranges, our storage ranges and also a certain number of innovations in our processes at TOURNAIRE, in particular our quality laboratory, obviously our automated stamping lines, and I think I’m forgetting one that is very important, Jeanne, I’m sure you can help me…

Jeanne Lions: Yes, absolutely. This is the vitrification line that we have developed and that we have installed in a new building with an extremely clean environment to meet our customers’ need for cleanliness.

Interview with Frédéric Braud, Managing Director of SOZIO

Would you like to introduce yourself and your activity?

I’m Frédéric Braud, I’m the Managing Director of the company SOZIO. We’re a fragrance blending company. We have been in existence for 260 years, with several businesses and facilities in France, the United States and Asia.

Why are you here?

TOURNAIRE is an interesting company with whom we work a lot. We have a lot of business, especially in the Middle East, and our customers only ask for TOURNAIRE packaging. We also use TOURNAIRE for all our fragrance samples. We have tried other companies, but we always come back to TOURNAIRE. I was interested in visiting the factory, especially with regard to CSR.

What are the advantages of aluminium packaging?

Aluminium packaging has many advantages. The first is protection. We have never found anything better. We have had a lot of problems with plastic packaging, for example, or metal that rusts. Aluminium is the most protective material. The second advantage is an environmental one. Aluminium is recyclable, so we are currently in the middle of a CSR process. Packaging is obviously an integral part of this approach.

What are the challenges you face when it comes to packaging your formulations?

For us, packaging is above all product safety. This is the number one criterion. The second criterion is recyclability. This is really important for us. And then of course the practicality and the aesthetic aspect. We are in the perfumery business, and we have quite a few customers in the Middle East who often resell in 1kg, 5kg, 10kg. So, there is an attractiveness in aluminium packaging that cannot be found in other types of packaging.

Interview of Philippe Gladieux, Supply Chain Director at Argeville

Would you like to introduce yourself and your activity?

My name is Philippe Gladieux, I am Supply Chain Director at Argeville, a Grasse-based company specialising in fragrant compositions, food flavours and ingredients. We’re a family-run company and we celebrated our centenary last year.

Why are you here?

Because TOURNAIRE has been a partner of Argeville for a long time. We have always had a very good relationship with TOURNAIRE and we really appreciate the quality of its services, its innovation and the quality of its products.

Is packaging strategic to protect your sensitive materials?

80 to 85% of our turnover comes from exports, from large-scale exports. Mainly air transport. So, it is essential to have this transport safety and the preservation of our products throughout the world.

What image do TOURNAIRE aluminiums have with your export customers?

TOURNAIRE aluminiums are the standard for our customers, in every respect. Both on the European and international markets.

What do you think of the new products in the TOURNAIRE range?

The OMNI PLUS range is very attractive. It is still under review with us. We are going to study the scheduling to switch the current standard range to the OMNI PLUS range. What we find very attractive is the recyclability of the solution we are being offered. 

Interview of  Françoise Fabre, General Manager of Fragonard

Would you like to introduce yourself and your activity?

I am Françoise Fabre, and I direct Fragonard, a company created in 1926, which is now run by the great, great grand-daughters of the creator Eugène Fuchs. We are Anne, Agnès and Françoise Costa, the fourth generation. Historically, Fragonard has mainly manufactured perfumes and subsequently we have developed extensive ranges of cosmetics, eaux de toilettes, and for some years now a whole universe based on the art of living in Provence, hence fashion, articles for the home and products that we brought back from our travels, particularly in India. It’s a country that has always been very close to Provence and which is part of our culture.

Why are you here?

We have come today with a whole team from our company to see the evolution of TOURNAIRE, a magnificent company with which we have maintained a relationship of loyalty and friendship. We know the products we buy but certainly not the production tool. We were astonished by the investment, the quality of the machines, the technologies that I could not even have imagined. And then the possibilities of customisation. Moreover, we are currently working to improve a product which is an emblematic product of Fragonard: a small metal canister, or ‘estagnon’. Perhaps we are the last company to use the name ‘estagnon’, but it is an important name for us. It is part of the history of Grasse and our common history with TOURNAIRE.

What are the challenges you face when it comes to packaging your fragrances?

We have products that have always been refillable. This was not the market trend 20 years ago. Everyone was using crimped products. We have always been keen to offer our customers refillable products and we buy 600ml refills from TOURNAIRE which are refills that no one else on the market does today. The sizes of Fragonard perfumes are 100ml, 200ml and 600ml in aluminium refills. It is certain that we all have the same objectives, namely, to have products that have the least impact on the planet and that are recyclable and refillable. That’s what’s at stake.

What advice would you give to a company looking for barrier packaging to protect its sensitive products?

In our business, which is a niche perfumery business, the use of aluminium is atypical. Generally speaking, companies use glass. We work a lot on the weight of the glass, the bottoms of the bottles, the luxury with the transparency that glass gives. It’s a real challenge to use aluminium to sell perfumes. This is our case, it is emblematic, the ‘estagnon’ is really the flagship of Fragonard. I don’t know if it can be duplicated that easily in terms of the finished product for a client. As far as refills are concerned, for all the products that are used in larger quantities, aluminium has an extraordinary added value. In terms of product quality, because it can be recycled very easily, because it does not pollute, it does not break, and because it is impervious to light and heat. These are all features that we have consistently valued in this product.

Interview of Christian Ortega, Vice-President of the Pays de Grasse agglomeration community in charge of economic development

Would you like to introduce yourself?

I am the Mayor of La Roquette-sur-Siagne and Vice-President of the Pays de Grasse agglomeration community in charge of economic development.

What does TOURNAIRE represent in the Grasse ecosystem?

This fine company TOURNAIRE, which I have the honour of being able to visit this evening, embodies the history of Grasse and hence the prospects of Grasse, naturally. With decades of good management, it has proven its ability to adapt to circumstances and to the solutions that need to be designed for the future.

What have you been able to draw from this event?

During this visit, we were able to see all the OMNI PLUS developments. Success cannot be achieved if there is no real ambition. This ambition must also be supported by funding. Over the last few years, this has amounted to ten million euros. OMNI PLUS production has been a real innovation for the clientele, who are loyal to the company. But to achieve loyalty, you have to offer new solutions and adapt to customer demands. You have to be sure that the product is really adapted to what the customer is going to market here in Europe and throughout the world.

A word for the industrialists of the Grasse region?

I’m here as Vice-President of the Pays de Grasse agglomeration community in charge of economic development, and I must say that we’re fortunate in our region in having the Mayor of Grasse, Mr. Jérôme Viaud, as President of the agglomeration community. He has always understood that the economy of the businesses in the Maritime Alps – and in particular in his region – is essential for success. The communities, the municipalities, the town halls, and others are not producers of funds: they use the money that has been granted to them by the quality of the businesses and services on our territory.