Par
Valentine Gaxieu
Published on
Nov 17 2024 at 8:30 p.m
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Nestled in Rahon, the Mutelet sawmill is a family institution with a history that dates back over 120 years. Founded in 1899 by a great-great-grandfather, the company has gone through the trials of time and warswhile remaining true to its roots.
The company, originally established as a sawmill and a flour millquickly specialized in oak processingespecially after the World War II. “The sawmill started with water power. Around 1939, the Germans dismantled it. After the war, it was put back in place,” he told Voice of Jura the current boss, Pierre Mutelet.
“Every member is important”
Since its creation, the company has remained family. Pierre Mutelet has always been part of this adventure, first as an employee then by taking over the company seven years ago. “Our strength is the family spirit, every team member is important. If I’m not there, things continue to run,” he confides.
It must be said that the Mutelet sawmill, with its 26 employeeshas always been able to rely on the loyalty and experience of its staff. A poignant example of this continuity: Bruno Bongainthe longest-serving employee, who will retire in January 2025 after 42 years of servicejust like his father before him, faithful for 47 years.
Pedestals intended for craftsmen
Today, the Mutelet sawmill stands out in the sector for its specialization in oak. The company mainly focuses on the production of plots of great length, width and thickness, reaching up to 140 mm. These plots are intended for traders, who then resell them to craftsmen, with the aim of make furnitureto restore old or historic buildingsor even create parquet flooring.
The sawmill mainly sources Burgundy-Franche-Comtéin the Great Eastin Île-de-France or even in the Center.
We process very good quality wood so we can afford to go far for it compared to the sale price.
16,000 m3 of wood processed per year
Once arrived at the sawmill, the block is sawed and put outside to dry. “He’s going to stay there between one and two yearsdepending on the thickness,” explains Pierre Mutelet.
Note that the company permanently has a stock of 5,000 m3 of blocks, trays and edges. The woods are naturally packaged and dried. The sawmill is equipped with a installation modern drying. The thermal energy required for the process comes from a recent biomass boilerpowered by the bark produced by the sawmill. Dry products are stored in a hangar.
Every year, 16,000 m³ of wood are transformed. The director explains: “Parquet flooring and medium quality wood go to France, and good quality wood goes to France. England and Belgium. » In total, 60% of plots are exported. For a turnover of nine million euros per year.
A new generation scanner
The other part of the wood is sawn, edged and connected using a new scanners. Two years ago, the sawmill invested in a new latest generation line. “There is a first scanner which optimizes board widths and yields. From there, two or three boards will come out of the machine and will be scanned again in order to be reworked transversally »presents Pierre Mutelet. The role of scanning, therefore, find the most expensive board in a fraction of a second.
The first in the world
This scanner is the first model in the world concerning the oak. Developed by a manufacturer from Luxembourgit was tested for a year and a half. The director says: “When we started to make contact five-six years ago, there were bad wood readings, bad camera definitions. Since then, there has been an evolution, with new technologiesnotably the arrival of artificial intelligence. »
This innovation therefore served as a showcase for the Luxembourg manufacturer. “We were the only ones in the world to have it, so he brought in customers from all over the worldAmericans, Russians… I wanted to be the first to go because I knew that I was going to have an audience behind me,” he confides.
Modernize the sawmill
As soon as he arrived at the head of the company, Pierre Mutelet did not hesitate to launch new goals. “I didn’t wait to repay the company before investing, I had to go,” he says. His next ambition, to rebuild the sawmill to modernize facilities and further integrate cutting-edge technologies. A project which is part of the continuity of the spirit of innovation.
It remains to be seen whether the business will remain family-owned. Father of three boys, Pierre Mutelet assures that they will do “what they want”. He confides, with a smile on his lips: “In the family, we were never forced to take over the business. »
Visit of the prefect and the deputy
However, sourcing quality wood can be difficult, particularly with climate change. “There is less and less quality wood, with more and more dieback. The only solution is to adapt,” explains Pierre Mutelet. Especially since the conditions for harvesting wood depend largely on the decisions taken by the National Forestry Office (ONF).
Following the latest bad weather, many woods in the Chaux forest have fallen. It is in this context that Pierre Mutelet received a visit from the prefect of Jura Serge Castel, and the deputy Justine Gruet, this Thursday, November 7, 2024.
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