Dordogne. The new life of the Pierres du Périgord in Limeyrat

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Known for its various colors, from beige to blue through gray, ocher and brown, the stone of Limeyrat has a good reputation, even beyond our borders, thanks to its old appearance. The stones have different textures; some have holes, a feature favored by the method of production. In fact, the slabs and paving stones are also aged in the factory.

Formerly called Carrières de Bontemps, the stone extraction and paving and floor covering production company in Limeyrat was taken over by the commercial court in January 2023 after going into liquidation. The buyers are the Iribarren Pierres naturel group with a 70% stake and the quarries of Thiviers (30%). The company was renamed Les Pierres du Périgord.

“In our main site in Luget, in Charente, we only have the color beige; we do more paving there for contemporary homes and architecture. This new site allows us to have more colors and textures. In Limeyrat, we specialize in the reproduction of old paving for churches and castles »explains Agathe Iribarren, executive assistant and digital communications manager with her husband Clément Caumeil. These are reproductions of old paving for renovation, mainly,

but also construction. Among the emblematic achievements, Limeyrat stone was used for paving the Cheap in Parisin stores Ralph Lauren across the world (Paris, Geneva, Los Angeles and Hong Kong). It is used for wine châteaux in Bordeaux (White Horse, Montrose and Palmer) or the restoration of the church of Paunotably. In Dordognethe ground of rue Limogeanne, at Périgueuxcounts paving stones produced in Limeyrat.

Improved productivity and ergonomics

During the takeover, 20 of the 25 employees were retained. The managers have put in place the same production equipment as at the Luget quarries (in Pranzac, in Charente) where the group has benefited from modern tools since the health crisis. “This allows us to have more ergonomics on the workstations and a material saving of 40%. The site is more productive. Employees carry much less burden than before”specifies Agathe Iribarren.

In Limeyrat, the group invested €3 million. The Region must support these investments to the tune of almost €200,000. Luget team leaders trained Limeyrat employees to use the new machines as a multi-blade chassis capable of cutting large blocks of stone into slices. A numerically controlled machine is used to cut the tiles.

Finally, the creation of a Geographical Indication (GI) for Limeyrat stone is expected in 2025. It should make it possible to protect the material.

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