JC Confection, luxury knits in the region
JC Confection reflects the discreet excellence of the French contract manufacturer at the service of luxury ready-to-wear. For over 45 years, the workshop has built a reputation as a specialist in cut and sew knits, and more recently in warp and weft. When Davy Raby took over the company in 2018, he continued along this demanding path, reinforcing the technical expertise, innovation and CSR commitments of a company that combines traditional savoir-faire with constant adaptation.
Behind the 150 machines, production lines and prototyping stations, there's a team at work every day, combining precision of gesture, passion for the professions and attention to materials. Here, each piece is monitored from cutting to packaging, with a total quality approach. JC Confection defines itself as a workshop that makes much more than garments: a lasting relationship between French craftsmen and fashion Houses.
A heritage with solid roots and ambitions for new things
The story of JC Confection begins with two men: Claude Tétard and Jean Roy. Together, they founded a company named after their initials - JC - which originally manufactured workwear. "With massive offshoring in the 90s, the low margins on these products pushed us to look for other markets", explains Davy Raby. The turn towards knits then became obvious, first in mid-range ready-to-wear, then in the demanding world of premium and luxury.
In 2018, after accompanying JC Confection as an accountant and then joining the teams, Davy Raby took over the company. Since then, the workshop has modernized without losing any of its soul. Still based in the Deux-Sèvres region, now in Moncoutant, it employs between 80 and 90 people, all driven by the same concern for a job well done, and possessing a fine expertise in cut and sew knits, flou / soft dressmaking and casual wear, aimed at top-of-the-range ready-to-wear for men and women. Over the past year, however, the atelier has expanded its range of skills to include warp and weft, with a fine level of responsiveness."Our objective is clear: to consolidate the relationship with our luxury customers, while opening up to other premium markets so as not to depend on a single sector. We're evolving so as not to close any doors. We have to be attentive to customer needs and potential markets", insists Davy Raby.
Luxury-oriented savoir-faire and technical expertise
The product development unit plays a crucial role. "It's a strategy initiated by Monsieur Tétard. The fact that we develop the product in-house often leads customers to entrust us with production afterwards". Equipped with modeling software such as Clo 3D or Lectra Modaris, and state-of-the-art machinery - including the latest acquisition, a Vector cutting table with on-board camera for placed patterns - the workshop is able to meet the demands of quality, precision and very tight deadlines.
The processing of Knits requires special attention, which the product development unit guarantees. "The material needs to rest for a day or two to regain a certain shape and stop moving. It takes a lot of work upstream to see how the material reacts, which is a particularity of Knits", explains Katell Goavec-Mevel, Key Account Manager. This detailed knowledge of materials determines the accuracy of assembly, and makes all the difference in the demanding world of luxury.
The logic of continuous improvement is omnipresent. "Teams are trained in self-control, and we have controllers who randomly come and check different stages of the chain", explains the manager. At the same time, a tracking software package enables each part to be located at time T thanks to a barcode system, and performance is analyzed daily to motivate teams on targets to be achieved.
A dynamic of transmission, commitment and agility
At the heart of JC Confection making, there are the faces of women and men often undergoing retraining, particularly from the healthcare sector, attracted by the sense of a craft profession. "We recruit first and foremost on soft skills: adaptability, rigor, long-term commitment. We had a big wave of retirements two years ago, but we have renewed with younger technicians, really driven by the profession", testifies Justine Baranger, Human Resources Manager.
Three work-study students are always present at the workshop, trained internally or by an external industrialization and methods consultant. Because the HR challenge is also a technical one: "For chain balancing, the method agents are indispensable. But there isn't really any dedicated training. It's a real recruitment challenge", testifies Katell Goavec-Mevel. The recruitment challenge is also focused on the positions of "prototypists who have already been trained, so we try to build as many bridges as possible internally, encouraging them to come and help the Product development unit during peak periods on the line reserved for prototypists, so that they can familiarize themselves and get trained". It's a gradual but effective approach, which helps to anchor know-how in-house, while ensuring that the teams' skills grow.
JC Confection also stands out for its involvement in the field of CSR. "Customers have asked for us to be more structured", explains the manager. A dedicated team now monitors water and electricity consumption, drives off-cut recycling, and works on the GFF's GOTS and Les Ateliers Engagés labels. The social aspect is just as strong, with daily meetings, regular events, and the intervention of an occupational therapist as part of an SST club to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
The JC Garment Making workshop is a beehive in motion, faithful to its fundamentals while looking to the future. Davy Raby sums up the company's philosophy: listen, adapt, pass on. An ambition in line with the best that made in France has to offer.
To find out more, discover the company file of JC Confection.
