3 questions for . . . Amedi Nacer, owner of two manufacturing businesses, Établissements Thierry and Simon Fonlupt Production

He caught the manufacturing bug in 1989 when he joined Kenzo as a production manager. When LVMH bought Kenzo in 1993 he remained for several more years, until Hermès hired him to, again, oversee manufacturing. But Amedi Nacer had always dreamed of owning a business. So in 2003 when the owner of Établissements Thierry, a sleeved articles subcontractor, suggested he take over the business, he did so the next year after he had secured support Hermès. Eight years later, he bought Simon Fonlupt Production, a flou (delicate fabrics) specialist.

What challenges do manufacturers like you face today?

They’re multiple. We must, at the same time, make sure our savoir-faire is passed on and that we maintain quality manufacturing standards. It’s fundamental to create a healthy social environment in companies like ours to make them attractive to workers. That means that employees want to stay and new candidates want to join. In both of my companies, the average age is between 42 and 43 years old. We’ve set up an integration process for new workers. For four months they get training through supervision by a tutor. It’s a support system that’s both technical and human. We compensate the tutors with a bonus, which I think is important recognition. Six months ago we set up a contract of apprenticeship and we’ve also established a program so that the majority of our staff can get a CQP (professional qualification contract) to document their work and experience.

What is your expertise? Do you think there has been a marked change in the way work is organised, and, if so, have you made significant investments in recent years?

Établissements Thierry is a sleeved article specialist and Fonlupt is a flou specialist. As far as equipment, we’ve just invested in an ultrasonic fabric cutting machine. Our priority, however, has always been human resources, organisation processes, and management. We have to be responsive and flexible. Especially since the pace of the fashion industry has accelerated. Between 15 and 20 trucks come to our two sites every day. We have to know what’s showing up to optimise our organisation. When I bought these two companies, I quickly understood that manufacturing in France could only go forward by focusing on luxury. Without that, I think it’s certain to fail.

It’s important to recognize that before starting a manufacturing job we have to evaluate the time it takes, the materials we need, and have the skills to handle the fabric. We work for the big luxury labels. For this kind of client we have to be irreproachable both in product quality and delivery schedules. We send employees to our clients’ businesses to make prototypes throughout the year and for the fashion shows.

As far as training challenges, what are the solutions or ideas to consider?

It’s an important subject that we handle in-house since we know what we need and our expertise must be perpetuated. Training takes place through professional certification contracts and a tutoring program. CQP contracts are a training complement for our employees. It lets them review their skills and sometimes update them. Our objective is that 80 percent of our staff acquire a CQP. Right now we’re at 37 percent, so it’s happening progressively. Additionally, every two years all our pressers get training. Our tutoring program was set up five years ago. The tutors are generally women and spend 30 percent of their time at this task. Becoming part of our company starts with a CDD or fixed-term contract, followed by a second CDD before a CDI or permanent contract is signed. The percentage of people who make it to a permanent contract is very high. We’ve also hired young people with a BTS (advanced technical certificate) or bachelor’s degree diploma who had originally intended to work directly for the big fashion houses. We did what it took to establish trust and we gave them responsibilities. The truth is that every day we’re confronted with new difficulties tied to brands’ requests. That’s a wonderful way to learn.