When a traditional technology re-establishes the prestige of a French way of doing things
Why manufacture in France
Without know-how, there is no French art of living. Without craftsmen, there is no territory left.
French manufacture of bedding is good for local economic dynamics, and it also means better sleeping comfort.
All our bedding and our furnishing pieces are made in France, in our workshops in the very heart of the Faubourg Saint Antoine, the historic furniture district of Paris.
Manufacturing in France means making a strong claim for ethical, socially responsible and ecological values.
The DNA of the Le Briand workshops rests on French know-how and a supply chain entirely of French origin, from the wool to the cotton fabric by way of the springs of the box spring.
Through our commitment to a local economy based on solidarity, we aim to take part in a virtuous circle from raw materials to consumers.
- For the customer’s benefit
- A supply chain from France
- French know-how
- Recognized by our certifications
- For a local economy based on solidarity
Our mattresses and our box springs therefore take full advantage of the virtues of Made in France – quality, traceability, short supply chains, maintaining local employment.
At the service of our customer’s comfort
Being able to (proudly) explain the product down to the smallest detail, thanks to a well-mastered production tool, is one of the first signs of quality.
This is what drives us at Le Briand, to serve the customer as well as we can.
Offering a product whose materials we cannot vouch for over time is not our thing.
The quality of the raw materials, through a short, direct, French supply chain, is therefore one of the first factors in achieving a finished piece that aims at optimum comfort.
With this in mind, relying on short supply chains and on a French sourcing chain has enabled us to create a relationship of mutual trust with all our suppliers.
We work hand in hand with them to meet all customer requirements.
Customers are reassured to have as many details as possible about the composition of their bedding, the origin of the wool and the methods used to transform virgin wool.
For our part, we are proud to be able to promote national industries of excellence that supply raw materials favourable to a cozy night’s sleep.
The trust we have built up with all those involved upstream in the manufacturing process enables us to aim for optimum sleeping comfort with the best materials available in France for our customers.
Producing in France also has an impact on the intrinsic quality of the end product.
Shortening the value chain and limiting sources of supply to a few trusted producers means assuring the quality of components, so important for excellent bedding.
Turning out a well-cared-for, quality piece for our customers starts above all with a meticulous selection of good materials.
Sourcing from France
A short, direct and French supply chain
When we speak of French manufacturing, we mean that the entire value chain is integrated into France.
We therefore believe that the promise of Made in France must start with the use of resources present on our own soil.
Our supply chain is short, direct and French.
Short? When flows of raw materials are more and more globalised, there is a way to shorten them, which favors traceability.
This short-circuit sourcing is part of our will to be one of the players in a circular economy based on solidarity.
Direct? No middlemen, with a minimum of players between the raw material just extracted and the transformed end product, which reduces the carbon footprint of the latter linked to the movement of goods.
It also avoids the (sometimes costly) intermediaries whose knowledge of the material is limited, since we deal directly with the person who masters the craft
We therefore pay particular attention to working with the best French producers.
The choice of suppliers is based on very specific criteria:
- the quality of the raw material
- production conditions
- respect for living creatures and for their own rhythm
Thanks to these shared values, we have forged a strong, direct relationship with our partners. That is why we have been working with the same ones for a long time.
French? Raw materials of French origin. Hard to believe, given the difficulties of French industry, but there are still glimmers of hope.
First and foremost, this comes from our partner producers and breeders throughout France, who supply us with raw materials:
- Our wool is collected from breeders in the Allier valley and washed in Belgium.
- The fabrics of the mattress and of the box spring (the ticking, in technical vocabulary) are woven in the Vosges.
- The springs used for our box springs come from one of the last wire mills in the Jura.
- The flax tow comes from Normandy.
- The ropes, threads and twines we use are produced by a rope works in Alsace.
- The jute fabrics are woven in Seine-Maritime.
As a maker of French mattresses and box springs, the Le Briand workshops therefore select the materials they use carefully, from the best producers and breeders in France, in line with their commitments to the development of a sovereign national economy.
So, from sheep to finished product, all the stages of manufacture are carried out in France (shearing, making and distribution) and in Belgium (washing).
Through national (and in some cases local) sourcing, the Le Briand workshops also help to revitalise our heritage by contributing to the national industries that need it.
We will let you imagine the environmental and social benefits such a commitment brings.
Made in Paris
Starting from a material that is still largely raw (that is to say, having undergone only the transformations needed to be able to use it), the whole of the making is carried out in the Le Briand workshops in the heart of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine (11th arrondissement of Paris) since 1880.
We are the last traditional bedding manufacturer in Paris intra-muros.
So it is on our own soil that the manufacturing processes and techniques have been shaped, in the hands of our artisan mattress makers.
By fighting offshoring, we preserve French know-how, a pillar of our national heritage, and we make sure it is passed on to future generations.
And, for the record, after manufacturing, whenever possible, we like to deliver the bedding with an iconic model of the French car industry: a canvas-topped Renault Prairie pick-up with a Frégate engine.
All products are designed, developed and produced in France.
When we manufacture on our own soil, we reduce logistics costs and CO2 emissions immensely. In this way, we make our own contribution to environmental challenges.
An association of benefactors
Our commitment to the national economy and to promoting local know-how has earned us the distinction of several labels and certifications:
- Living Heritage Company (EPV) label
- Living Treasures of Craftsmanship Trophy
- Made in Paris label
- Répar’acteur (repair actor) label
These labels certify that the Le Briand workshops preserve, keep alive and pass on know-how that is rare on a national scale.
They also guarantee the link with the local area.
Find out more about the labels and certifications obtained by the Le Briand workshopsFor a local economy based on solidarity
This traditional technology offers exemplary circular economy features.
We are resisting the effects of globalisation and have chosen to promote a French value chain.
All this adds up to a set of attributes that are favourable to the development of a green, local and circular economy:
- an environmentally-friendly making cycle
- a workshop and craftsmen based in France, maintaining the local craft fabric
- sustainable and recyclable products
To start changing the world, we are convinced of the benefits of national production, based on local supply chains.
On an individual scale, this has a direct impact on the purchase price, which can be a deterrent for consumers, unless they consider the durability, the comfort, the adaptability, the preventive properties and the buying experience of such bedding.
You might be surprised, and we are here to guide you along the way!
On a collective scale, sleeping on natural, eco-friendly Le Briand bedding makes it possible to envision a more harmonious society, thanks to much lower environmental and societal costs than with other bedding options.