The art of embossing and knobs: a unique family heritage at Janvier-Gruson-Prat

Janvier-Gruson-Prat, founded in 1840, embodies exceptional savoir-faire in the manufacture of metal stampings and buttons. Established in Savigny-le-Temple since 1992, this family-run business has stood the test of time while preserving its artisanal heritage, which we discover with its director since 2012, Dominique Gruson.

A family saga spanning eight generations, the Janvier-Gruson-Prat story begins in the capital's Rue Pastourelle. The workshop, then staffed by 5-6 people, was located in the courtyard of the mansion acquired by Dominique Gruson's grandfather. The latter shares his heritage with pride and passion: "My father spent 75 years in the business since he was emancipated to be able to run it at the age of 16, in 1944, at that difficult time when copper was no longer available. He had to overcome many obstacles."

Historical heritage and exceptional Savoir-faire

Over the course of its almost two centuries of history, the company enjoyed a golden age in the 1980s-90s, when it employed over 100 people in its factory. The development of the company's activity was all the more significant during the takeovers and reunifications of 30 companies: "At the time there were several companies, we merged our takeovers under the Janvier-Gruson-Prat name", but also other well-known companies such as Trelon Weldon & Weil (T.W.W.), a military button company. A takeover that echoes the company's FACIM membership, since its long-standing main customers for buttons and metal elements worn on uniforms and belts are the three armed services (mainly the Navy), but also the Police Nationale, the Gendarmerie and the fire department, as well as leading military schools such as Polytechnique and Saint-Cyr. Other clients include the Paris, Berlin and Helsinki opera houses, Disneyland and luxury restaurants. The company has also contributed to film productions, notably for re-enactments of the Napoleonic era.

At the heart of the offices dotted with Dominique Gruson's grandmother's paintings, resides an important historical heritage of over 120,000 stampings used as finishings for fancy jewelry, fashion, leather goods, accessories, furnishings, lighting and events, some of which date back to the company's beginnings. He points out that "with the number of dies we have, customers will mostly choose from the existing ones, even if we sometimes get requests to design new dies".

The company's exceptional savoir-faire shines through in the button-making process, of which it has a collection of 2000 pieces. Dominique Gruson tells us about their complex manufacture:

La société Nouvelle

At Janvier-Gruson-Prat, now with 16 employees in Savigny-le-Temple and 2 in the showroom on rue de Saintonge in Paris, team versatility on the various workstations is the order of the day and requires certified skills. As an Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV), the company is actively involved in the transmission of savoir-faire, which is ensured within the workshop, where, for example, toolmakers and workshop managers share their know-how from father to son, thus perpetuating tradition. However, Dominique Gruson points out that "for tooling, we're having trouble finding young people, we're taking on people who are 50 years old to replace people who are retiring. Eventually, we're going to have to invest in a digital lathe".

The company is constantly adapting by integrating strict CSR standards, producing lead- and nickel-free parts in particular. ISO 14001 certification attests to its efforts in terms of environmental management, including waste recycling and resale for remelting: "We reduce gas (nitrogen and hydrogen) and electricity consumption (reduced by 25% in recent years), systematically collect and recycle copper and all waste, which is resold per 500 kg to a company that recovers and remelts in France, and then it goes back on the reel!" testifies Dominique Gruson. A true eco-design practice.

The family business now counting Dominique Gruson's children, Aurore in marketing and Sébastien at the heart of the workshop, continues its tradition while diversifying into new sectors. The manager explains that "the impetus given by my daughter is to diversify our activities, with the idea of manufacturing on behalf of major luxury brands". Thus, retaining the loyalty of its institutional customers and opening up to fashion and luxury players promises an exciting continuation of the family heritage, while meeting contemporary challenges and ensuring the continuity of excellent savoir-faire.