For the interim it is already distributed

Powered by data from Catia, computer aided design software, the digital control milling machine in five axes sculpts with less than the millimetre precision incorporated form of composite material of a dozen of metres long, which can then make the mould of the deck of a sailing vessel. We are to Dompierre-sur-Yon, in the heart of the bocage of Vendée, in one of three workshops for the manufacture of prototypes of Beneteau, the world leader in the pleasure. Delivered in less than nine months (studies included) against 15 months there is not if the prototype in machining our eyes used thus making one of 54 new models of boats that the group will be put to its catalogue in just two years long.

But why out as news whereas the pleasure just beginning to recover from the very brutal recession suffered from the fall of 2008, in the wake of the global financial crisis Bruno Cathelinais, President of the Executive Board of Beneteau, this important effort of innovation at the height of the storm was a double benefit. In the immediate future, he helped maintain employment, reassigning to the manufacture of prototypes of the staff come to production workshops, which furthered the partial unemployment. Now, the Group derived benefits in terms of sales, bouncing more strongly than its competitors.

Boost investments

Because, in this business, the rapid turnover of models is to attract customers. "When the crisis hit, we have 200 million euros of cash, fruit of our prudent management during the boom years 1995-2008, is Bruno Cathelinais. This has allowed us to maintain and even to accelerate investments when our brothers were, themselves, forced to lift the foot. "Result: after a plunge of 37.5 over a year during 2008-2009, the consolidated net sales bounced from 18.2 on the exercise concluded on 31 August, EUR 779,2 million, while the world market of the yacht was just stabilized. And the net deficit of 10.4 million result the year previous, is again positive with a profit of EUR 31.4 million...

Real weapon anticrise, this innovation policy also applies to the methods of production. Thus, some cables from Dompierre, 250 people working at Poiré-sur-Vie mounting workshop out interchangeably since December 2008, on the same assembly line, ships from 30 to 44 feet (9 to 13 metres). "In a traditional organization with a string by model, it must close the production line if the product does not sell explains Paul Rampini, industrial Director of the Beneteau group." Here, the workshop's work regardless of the application to any particular model.

The rest, its rate of production is passed two sailing per day before the crisis to three currently and soon four. And, to a classical plant, productivity was improved from 20 to 30. Inspired by methods of production in force in some car manufacturers, the construction pilot of Poiré-sur-Vie is designed to be declined in the other group manufacturing sites, including those devoted to motor boats.

These adaptations and the resumption of the market, Beneteau, which employs more than 5,000 people against 6,000 before the crisis (but with the deployment of accompanying measures he was only 13 dry redundancies), hope to resume in the second quarter of 2011 recruitment in indeterminate contracts. For the interim, it is already distributed.