An enlightening book on the Soulat company

Last Saturday, in front of a large assembly took place the presentation of the book The Soulat de Sancoins Company in Paris and Guerche-sur-l'Aubois – Inventions in electromechanics 1881-2001 (our October 21 edition)

. ^{The result of long research work, the collection of testimonies in particular from former workers, the work, written by Maryse Bouy and Jean-Pierre Guittonneau, transports readers into the family and industrial saga of the Soulat company which began at the end of the 19th century} e

century in Sancoins.

The 90s, a pivotal period

Founded in 1881 by Jean Soulat, a watchmaker and inventor, the company also specialized in electrical construction, notably through the manufacture of the time counter, a pioneering invention at the time. From there, the company would experience impressive expansion, stretching from Sancoins to Dieppe, then to Paris. ^{“The inventors of the time, including Jean Soulat, competed with innovative ideas, in particular to develop a way to price electricity, this new energy, using an hourly meter,” explained Maryse Bouy. Soulat's sons, Georges and André, took over the business from 1920, founding the Establishments Soulat Frères, which extended to La Guerche-sur-l'Aubois. After them, the factory will continue to make headlines for its technological feats in micromechanics and electronics until the end of the 20th century.} e

century “.

The company, despite its successes, also experienced difficult times, particularly at the turn of the 1990s. The testimonies collected in the book reflect this pivotal period, when the company began to lose ground in the face of competition and economic changes. deep. Finally, the dissolution of the Soulat Frères company was recorded in 2001, marking the end of a family adventure which lasted more than a century.