Furnishing locally has long been an unattainable dream. The neglect of know-how, the obsolescence of production machines and the attractiveness of foreign manufacturing have pushed us to produce and consume elsewhere for years. Fortunately, the French have ideas… and talent! A creativity that drives us today to design products that are beautiful, practical and accessible... all 100% Made in France. When local furniture takes off, the whole economy comes back into shape!
Made in France
The rebirth of local production
France has fabulous know-how when it comes to furniture, and more broadly in the field of decorative arts. The whole world envies us certain techniques that we are the only ones to master. Whether it's traditional cabinetmaking or new technologies, the "French-touch" has long been emulated beyond our borders. However, the production "made in our area" has not always been easy to set up. Too expensive, or simply shunned by our fellow citizens, it has long been neglected in favour of foreign manufacture, certainly more accessible but also less qualitative.
However, "the Covid era" has passed by, shaking up our established ideas. We have become aware of the need to consume locally, both for economic and ecological reasons. All sectors have been driven by this phenomenon, whether food, clothing or decoration. Many players in the decorative sphere have followed the movement by relocating their production. In this same state of mind, the purchases of materials manufactured on local territory have greatly increased, thus reviving an economy hitherto lacklustre.
Finally, certifications, labels, and specific markings now help us to see more clearly in our way of consuming: as with food, we always want to know where the product was assembled from A to Z!
Local manufacturing as seen by LAFUMA MOBILIER
At LAFUMA MOBILIER, we did not wait for the ecological crisis to set up a "Made in France" production of which we are so proud! We favour local hiring and regional sourcing with quality requirements – 68% of raw materials come from France (and 99% from Europe). Every product creation starts in our Design & Style Office where seven people develop functional designs throughout the year.
The rest of the production process also takes place in France, whether it involves the metal tube workshop, painting, plastics processing, sewing or assembly. The various steps are divided between two production sites: Anneyron, our headquarters in the Drôme department, and the Lallemand subsidiary at Balmay (Ain). Both are situated in the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Labels to see more clearly
After a great legal void in this area, which allowed many abuses, the French state decided to launch the label "Fabriqué en France". The purpose of this label is to reinforce and facilitate the choice of the consumer wishing to buy a product "Made in France" and which strictly meets the criteria of European regulations governing "Made in France".
It contributes to accelerating the reindustrialization of the territory, to preserving local jobs and to meeting the objectives of reducing the carbon footprint of France.
EPV Label
Second label less known to the general public, and just as important for the local production, the EPV (for Living Heritage Company) was founded in 2005. It is issued by the Ministry of Economy, Finance and of Industry, to companies "which hold an economic heritage, composed in particular of rare, renowned or ancestral know-how, based on the mastery of traditional or high-tech techniques and limited to a territory". In 2020, LAFUMA MOBILIER joined 1 500 companies with this label for excellent craftsmanship and industrial know-how. Obtaining this label is a sign of recognition for our expertise in metal and textile furniture since 1954 that we are very proud of!
More generally, remember to look at the specific markings that are increasingly present. The latter precisely indicate their products manufactured on our territory, thus offering us a simple and fast reference to buy French products.