At 68, Thierry Doubre, president of the French Building Federation (FFB) of Nièvre, decided to hand over the reins. He held this position from 2000 to 2006, then from 2010 to the present. Patrice Lagoutte should take over.
Originally from Cosne, Thierry Doubre held numerous positions before joining the construction industry: banking, motor farming, skins and furs, accounting. It was a bit by chance, at the age of 28, that he was offered a position as human resources manager on a construction site in Algeria. It’s exotic, it’s different, he jumps at the chance.
I liked the human adventure. It didn’t take me long to figure out how it worked. There are great technical skills at all levels, and the chain must be coherent and complementary so that the customer is satisfied.
Back in France, he returned to his native lands in 1995 to take over a company in difficulty: Miroglace. He will sell the company in 2019, after his retirement. At the same time, he holds numerous mandates in associations, unions and federations linked to his profession: 23 in total. But he is best known for his role as president within the FFB.
“I enjoyed it. There are important issues: that the sector progresses and that the legislator is moderate in the evolution of the standards that he imposes on us. I liked discussing with the State services, the local elected officials. We are in a small department, that helps. This is why today, a large majority of calls for tenders are issued in separate batches. This allows local companies to respond more easily. .
A revolution that takes time
He has seen his industry evolve. “Along with transport, we are one of the largest suppliers of CO2. With engineers and manufacturers, we must be able to move towards more innovative products and construction methods.”
“This is the beginning of an era of transformation. But we must also give ourselves time to do it, because such an important revolution, in such a short time, we have to pay the cost. It is rarity and the complexity of the products that drive the price is one of the reasons why the cost of raw materials has exploded.”
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However, he is confident. “We have young leaders full of enthusiasm and with a dose of unconsciousness necessary to see the future in a positive way. They are more and more specialized and with training superior to ours, who have learned everything on the ground They focus on the economy of their territory, this is a guarantee of success. They must also share their thoughts and join forces to be able to respond to markets.
New life
On June 19, Thierry Doubre will hand over to Patrice Lagoutte, a recognized entrepreneur who has been in the office for several years. He is the only candidate in the running. “I did part of the work, but to each his own time, you have to breathe new life into it,” smiles the future ex-president who will remain a member and continue his other mandates for the next three years.
Marlene Martin
