The Thébault Group has always looked far and wide. A story of culture and commercial necessity. “We need to seek export volumes”indicates Antoine Thébault who took over the family business, specializing in plywood three years ago. “We are rather good students when it comes to France’s trade balance. »
Thébault is currently experiencing a key period. It invests the equivalent of its turnover, i.e. 100 million euros, in an LVL (lamilated veneer lumber or Lamibois) production plant in Auvergne. “This is a large, thick plywood panel dedicated to construction. It will be the first factory of this kind in France. It will begin production at the end of 2025; we plan to ramp up over five years. »
The LVL will confirm the international orientation of the company: 80% of its production will ultimately be intended for export. “The French LVL market represents 20,000 m3. It will probably rise to 30,000 m3 because supply will create demand and it is necessary to decarbonize construction. But this will not be enough to absorb our production which will be 70,000 m3 initially to reach 100,000 m3 and thus almost double our total capacity”explains Antoine Thébault. Here, outlets will be sought for large-scale exports, towards Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, etc.
Thébault carries the international in his genes. Jean, founder of the company in 1953, was already working on the German and Dutch markets “ without even speaking of a foreign language”. In 2003, The Next Generation, with Jean-Charles, Benoît and Henri-Jean, accelerated development beyond borders. The recruitment of a specialized sales director increases the trend. Today, the group exports 70% of its volumes of “classic” plywood to around twenty European countries.
This propensity places Thébault at the heart of global competitions. Its leaders know they are dependent on political events taking place on the other side of the globe, and scrutinize currency prices on a daily basis… “We have the whole world in front of us. And we don’t often play on equal terms. »
landmarks
> Thébault Group.
> 47, rue des Fontenelles in Magné. www.groupe-thebault.com
> 5 production sites (Magné, Sauzé-Vaussais, Solférino, Owendo (Gabon), Marigny-le-Châtel and soon Lempdes-sur-Allagnon and 1 logging company.
> Turnover: 100 million euros.
> Workforce: 400 employees, 500 in 2025.
> Manager: Antoine Thébault, president.
