The History of the Brand

In the image of its founder, Ernest Ménard, the life and development of the company of the same name are, first and foremost, synonyms for enthusiasm and commitment.

1941

Ernest Ménard was born in the middle of the Second World War on a small farm in Bourseul on the Côtes d'Armor in Brittany. His childhood was to be marked by the absence of his father, who was first of all a prisoner and then died when he was only 11 years old.  This forced him to take on some of the farm work at an early age and to leave school at the age of 14.

During this childhood Ernest Ménard's attachment to French production was born in Bourseul, valuable land that is and will remain the cradle of the company.  It was on this land that he worked and built his company.  This also explains the respect he has always had for the countryside that he has seen grow and his commitment to sustainable development long before it became fashionable.

1966

The first project - the start of the adventure. Ernest Ménard decided that his destiny did not lie in agriculture like most of his peers in the village.  He decided to launch his own company and the adventure began.  As he did not have a penny to his name, he used the family barn and modified the agricultural machines using ingenuity and fortitude.  He then had the machines which would enable him to make his first decorative objects.

The power of good sense and fortitude enabled him to launch the adventure and these values are still the basis of the company.  In the same year, Ernest Ménard took on his first employee, Daniel, who retired in 2009 after 43 years in the service of this wonderful adventure.

1975

Ernest Ménard was passionate about working with wood but aware of the limits in the market for wooden decorative objects manufactured in France.  He decided to change direction and created his first pieces of furniture.  The company then employed ten members of staff and had to reinvent itself.

Even though the products changed, the expertise and passion for wood remained; it is deeply rooted in the genes of the brand.  The capacity for change also remained so that year after year, collection after collection, the brand develops to support its contemporaries in an adherence to quality.

1985

The second corporate objective was launched!  All the teams then embarked on one objective:  to become the leading French company for additional pieces of furniture (occasional furniture, television furniture, etc.)

This brand character trait of being strong in the world of additional pieces of furniture is still true today and some collections are entirely devoted to this theme.

1990

Ernest Ménard took up the challenge of modernity and invested in a modern industrial site, a forerunner in terms of environmental friendliness.  This project, which was a pilot in France, was conducted in collaboration with the local DRIRE [Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and the Environment], and the site respects health and the environment.  All waste is retreated and processed.

Solidly based on human values, respect for people and nature is evident in the decisions taken.  The brand remains a forerunner today for the themes of respect for health and environmental friendliness.

1998

Reinventing itself. Through its third corporate objective, the company took a new turn prioritising the development of design, the brand and internationalisation.  This involved the development of a "Universe for Life" concentrating on the dining room.  It was during this period that Gaëtan Ménard, the son of the founder, rejoined the company to develop exports initially.

Today our brand is found abroad and is the incarnation of "Made in France" quality in more than twenty countries.

2001

Ernest Ménard created the NATURA collection, the first collection in natural oak to be placed on the market, and which has become a great standard for the profession since this period.

Our profession is not only living with the market but developing it as well.  One of the characteristics of the brand is this capacity to innovate year after year in order to contribute to producing the latest from the profession that manufactures top-of-the-range furniture in France.  Today the core business of the company is directed towards the creation of new collections to be present in the life of the client.

2008

The "Challenges 2012" project  definitely set the company on course for the future with the strengthening of the brand role.  Espaces Ernest Ménard in stores, strengthening of links with its distributor partners, development of the brand abroad, recruitment of new designers, proactive selection of investments to guarantee the safety of consumers, etc.  The projects are set, the energy and enthusiasm is at work.

Ernest Ménard is the first brand in the manufacture of wooden furniture to have developed water-based finishes (products that can be diluted in water) to reduce solvent emissions and thus volatile organic compounds (VOC).  This guarantees the health of both clients and staff.

Tomorrow

Ernest Ménard puts forward an architectural vision of the development of his company.  "It is always necessary to go a mile further than the others" states the founder.  This family adventure continues and will continue with Gaëtan Ménard and all the staff.

History is built day after day, respecting the values which have made it possible for the company to grow and to increase the stature of the men and women of the company:  respect, courage, mutual aid and dedication.