The transformation of Guy Degrenne

Guy Degrenne, the French manufacturer of tableware, created a company which is one of the most well-known French brands. Many people will remember the television advertisement in 1978 in which a young Guy Degrenne is caught drawing knives and forks in his school books by his teacher who says ‘that is not how you will go far in life’ ! Since then, there have been many changes, starting with the tidal wave of low-cost competition from China in the stainless steel sector‚ changes in consumer habits‚ falling demand among the younger generation for dinner tableware‚ the trend to give sums of money to a newly-married couple for a trip rather than choose a gift from a wedding list, and so on. In 1987‚ Guy Degrenne sold his company. The current management, which arrived in 2008, implemented a new strategy which included the diversification of products, the creation of the ‘Guy Degrenne Industries’ subsidiary (one of the European leaders of deep drawing in stainless steel with products such as the MOX metal waste container for Areva and toilet bowls for the high-speed TGV trains), the launch of a new concept store, and the creation of ‘Degrenne Paris’ as an international brand. The company is making innovations both in its products and its sales processes in order to secure its future.