ARaymond celebrates 150 years of innovation
(PRWEB) December 13, 2015 -- The ARaymond Network*, a world leader in fastening and assembly solutions for the automotive industry, is this year celebrating 150 years of innovation, teamwork and success.
Employees, customers and suppliers have attended special events held at ARaymond offices and factories around the world to commemorate the 150th birthday of the company.
Since it was founded in the late 19th century, the company has evolved from a small factory into a world-class organization with a global reach. Under the leadership of five generations of the same family of entrepreneurs, its product range has expanded to provide solutions to customers in several different industries.
A pioneering spirit
The ARaymond Network was founded in Grenoble, France, in 1865 by Albert-Pierre Raymond. While looking for a more practical fastener to replace the traditional glove button, he invented the press stud.
It was a simple yet brilliant idea – a "spring" which holds an assembly together and which, under a certain amount of pressure, is able to release it. The press stud became a worldwide success and gave rise to further designs and inventions. Ever since creativity and a constant quest for innovation have been hallmarks of the company.
ARaymond continued to make its famous press stud (and other accessories) for the largest brands in the fashion industry until 1999 when international competition brought production to an end. Well before that, thanks to its ability to adapt, the company had already moved its core activity away from fastening towards assembly solutions in order to enter new markets, and launched its automotive business in 1936.
Today the Network has its own Advanced Research Centre – in Alsace, France – and reinvests 6% of its annual turnover in research and development, allowing it to respond to specific client projects, expand its product range, develop new technologies and perfect its existing know-how.
Antoine Raymond, current CEO of ARaymond, said: "Without question, it is the relevance and quality of the solutions we offer, together with the reliability of our products, that have provided the foundations for 150 years of success.
"The ARaymond Network has adapted its business model to suit the environment of its time – wars, economic crises, globalization, societal change – so as to successfully navigate history. But we still abide by our core values, namely, respect for people and respect for the environment."
International expansion
The ARaymond Network established its first "subsidiary" in 1898 with a factory at Lörrach in Germany. The speed of its internationalization accelerated in the 1970s, driven by the company’s desire to be ever closer to its customers and markets.
The ARaymond Network now has design offices and manufacturing facilities in 25 countries. As well as locations in Europe, the United States, Brazil, China, India and Russia, the Network recently established companies in Thailand and Singapore, and opened two new production sites in Korea and Russia in June of this year.
Antoine Raymond added: "A unique quality of the ARaymond Network lies in its ability to capitalize on the talent and skills of local entrepreneurs at each of its new operating sites, while at the same time ensuring that each one shares our mission and vision of the future."
From automotive to pharmaceutical
The ARaymond Network offers its extensive range of fastening and assembly solutions to six key markets:
• AUTOMOTIVE: Millions of vehicles are fitted with ARaymond™ fasteners and quick connectors used for interior and exterior trim, instrument panels, power trains, and electrical distribution, thermal management and fluid handling applications. The ergonomic plastic and metal components supplied by ARaymond facilitate the assembly operations of both manufacturers and their suppliers.
• TRUCK: The Network offers fastening solutions (metal and plastic) and connection solutions tailored to the specific needs of manufacturers of commercial vehicles (including lorries, buses, and construction and agricultural machinery).
• INDUSTRIAL: ARaymond Industrial develops and markets intelligent solutions specifically designed for the manufacture of appliances, electrical equipment, and lighting, heating and ventilation products.
• ENERGIES: ARaymond Energies offers products and services to suppliers of solar structures and systems as well as to engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractors. It also works in close collaboration with other players in the photovoltaic value chain: installers, panel manufacturers, distributors, electricity generators, and regulatory and certification bodies.
• AGRICULTURE: ARaymond designs, manufactures and markets fastening solutions for the intensive horticultural cultivation of fruit and vegetables in greenhouses, and for viticulture. The Network offers innovative and intelligent fasteners, which allow growers to simplify cultivation, maximize yields and minimize labour costs.
• LIFE: ARaymondlife** is a pharmaceutical business specializing in injection and bi-injection and the integration of active substances into polymer structures. This expertise has allowed it to develop innovative solutions for pharmaceutical laboratories.
ARaymond in numbers:
€930 million in turnover, of which 95% is accounted for by sales to the automotive industry and 87% is generated internationally
5,500 employees in 25 countries across five continents
1,000 active patents
25,000 references in production
Across the globe, most vehicles contain on average 500 ARaymond parts!
• The ARaymond Network is a worldwide leader in fastening and assembly solutions for the automotive industry. Its products are used in the manufacture of nearly all vehicle classes, from city cars to luxury limousines. Other key markets are: Truck, Industrial, Energies, Agriculture and Life.
• Headquartered in Grenoble, France, the ARaymond Network is made up of 37 independent enterprises located in Europe, North and South America, Asia and North Africa.
• Established in 1865, the ARaymond Network has been a family-owned business throughout its history. Current CEO Antoine Raymond is the great-great-grandson of founder Albert-Pierre Raymond.
• For further information about ARaymond and the history of the company, visit http://www.araymond.com and http://www.araymond-150.com.
*ARaymond Network, Network, ARaymond mean, in this Press Release, a network of independent companies who hold a trademark licence agreement.
ARAYMOND™ is a registered trademark.
**ARaymondlife means, in this Press Release, ARaymondlife SASU – RCS Grenoble 501 397 012 – 1 rue Louis Besançon, 38120 St Egrève which is a member of the ARaymond Network
Press contact:
Claire-Marie Signouret - PLUS2SENS – cm(at)plus2sens(dot)com – +33 (0)6 14 61 82 95
Agnès LOPEZ, RAYGROUP SASU, http://www.araymond.com, +33 4 76 33 48 79, [email protected]
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