No industry requires both parts justified

It is unfortunately mundane history of a company that is hovering. At Neuville-Saint-Amand, near Saint-Quentin (Aisne), T & M Hivet manufacturing of moulds for eighty years. With a thoroughness of watchmaker, the Millers, érodeurs and other fitters recognized expertise continue to fine-tune their parts, as they have always done, to the hundredth of a millimetre closely. Here, the visitor think father Marsh Harrier and its model of the place de la Concorde carved in the milling machine, in "325 francs 000", the novel by Roger Vailland. But how many time still the picard mould workers as their talent In the coming weeks, the word "crisis" may take to them much more reality than the info flashes on TV. Because, over the workshop, which work a 40 experts in mechanics, the President of the society, Hervé Cadenne, forty-six years, desperately awaits new commands. "We have at this time the last parts of 2008 and we have, to 13 this month, no other application, finds." All decisions are frozen in our clients. "And for good reason... T & M Hivet is today dependent on 80 of the car. As it always was. Since this former Executive financial computer bought the company, in 2004, this ultradépendance was not challenged in question.

Trend indicators

Quite the contrary rival Cogémoule, another mould which has experienced its ups and downs at the point in relief in 2004. Installed this no.1 in Oyonnax (Ain), in the Valley of the plastics industry, two of the sector after the acquisition of the Group Jaud, in 2001, completely redesigned under the impulse of his new boss, Bruno Machet. In 2005, the quadra takes the reins of the company, the return of two years in India in Sermo, a mould which is delocalized. Cogémoule then has a dozen customers and 90 of its activity comes from the automobile. "Today, the company works regularly with 65 to 80 companies, and the auto sector ensures more that 25 of orders", welcomes its CEO. The man is disert, enterprising, to facilitate accountability and internal promotion. But one of his first measures was to require specific workshops and met safety standards, firmly by sweeping the bad habits of the profession. He reads everything that can give short-term and medium-term trend indicators "to anticipate." "Since I have returned to the company, it stopped all exploration towards the car, he says to the bumper of the New Beetle, the mould is out of Cogémoule workshops in fact 1997.Cela several years that I know that should no longer rely on the auto manufacturers."

A profession atomized

A realism which seems to have escaped our picard boss, said to be launched in this industrial adventure "for family reasons". In 2004, Hervé Cadenne sought a structure including "the know-how was not worn by the leader." It appears, to be permeated by a world that is not his, respectful of the know-how of its workers, so do not dare impose a modernization of the behaviour: the maintenance of the workshops, here, is not a priority, and some minor safety habits are sometimes forgotten. Yet, his coming ensured the sustainability of the company, which should give it a natural authority. But, at the assimilation of the trade, confident in the past and the good reputation of the company, it is not seen with any cynicism auto manufacturers win their purchases of supplies. Let's start by mussels. "No industry requires both parts, justified." In a washing machine, you have thirty or forty times less castings in a car. "President of the Association of industries of the mold, model, model and associated trades (Afim), Hervé Cadenne is involved in the profession to try to make things happen. "A responsibility that takes 25 of my time without additional customer input", says. But the atomisation of the sector and the total absence of esprit de corps of concern. "The mould does not include that customers who are price and that they take us down." Despite this analysis, the boss of T & M Hivet does not appear to believe in the virtues of diversification.

"Suicidal competition."

Bruno Machet, he identified another strategic axis: "bigger is, it is difficult to relocate," said the head of Cogémoule. In 2007, he has equipped its plant of a 50 tons lift bridge which allowed him to make very large mussels. "We can make equipment weighing up to 125 tons," he says. While at Neuville-Saint-Amand, continues to run after the small room auto, in direct competition with Turks, Slovak or Chinese mould. "The obsession of the low-cost did forget builders quality requirements." "It's the difference with German manufacturers", analysis a consultant in the auto sector. "Unlike the French, German manufacturers are loyal to their suppliers. "They have a relationship of partnership with them, instead of putting them in a situation of intense competition", prevarications our two patterns. In fact, Renault and PSA did not have, in recent years, constructive approach with regard to their subcontractors. Between 2000 and 2007, the turnover of the profession in France has been divided by two, to EUR 723 million, and the number of jobs rose from 10,000 to 6,000. "The sector is not exempt from criticism." It is much too fragmented and engages a suicidal competition, recognizes Hervé Cadenne. When a company put the key under the door, two or three Millers create each their box, thus multiplying the number of actors.

Despite many days of prospecting in Germany, in Russia, in Turkey, Bruno Machet for his part followed the Acamas training program, proposed by the Federation of mechanical industries to help its 3,000 adherent SMEs to rethink and develop a medium-term vision. "It's a training card." "With the assistance of a consultant, we have worked on our Organization commercial and validated our strategic choices", explains the pattern of Cogémoule, who is willing to follow a second session. However, Hervé Cadenne has no recourse, "because it must first know what market we address".

Appointment with the prefect

Two different patterns, two ways to cross the crisis... While the President of Cogémoule multiplying partnerships, animates the Mold Cluster French and leads to European initiatives with the pole of competitiveness of the region, Plastipolis, seeking to match the German competitors, quality and productivity of T & M Hivet hope that one or two orders of the State will give a bit of work to his men in February. Facing this "crisis of rare violence", as says Yann Lacroix, responsible for sectoral studies in Euler Hermes SFAC, Picardy business seems well destitute. "We have appointments with the prefect, the bankers, the pole employment, cash in the coming days." And I will be at the meeting on 20 January, in Paris, on the car. "We'll see what comes out," punctuates Hervé Cadenne, who knows well, as Jean-Louis Pion, delegate FO which appears thirty-nine years of home at the counter, that in February, the technical unemployment will be inevitable. Prelude to a future more than uncertain.