On June 3, 2008, the Argos Soditic group signed an agreement with the Steinway group for the purchase of the Leblanc clarinet factory in La Couture Boussey, in the Department of Eure region of France. This factory produces wind instruments for students under the brand name Buffet Crampon, in a new and independent legal form, known as the Manufacture d'Instruments de la Couture. The chairman of the company is Antoine Beaussant, chairman of the board of directors of Buffet Crampon.
The factory currently employs 35, and additional personnel will likely be added in the near future to meet new production needs. A considerable investment plan is also on the horizon.
The Buffet Crampon Group continues to pursue its strategy of development through acquisitions. In 2006, the purchase of Besson and Antoine Courtois allowed it to expand its activity to include brass instruments, and to extend its range by launching over 30 new instruments. The purchase of this production unit, manufacturing student clarinets, bolstered the company's strategy of autonomy three years ago.
"The perspectives are exceptional in every way, as the site of la Couture Boussey has been the historical cradle of instrumental manufacturing since 1750," says Antoine Beaussant. "The savoir-faire of the master wood turners and instrument makers is carried on here, and we contribute our industrial know-how and our high standards for quality."
The Manufacture d'Instruments de la Couture allows the Buffet Crampon Group to pursue its industrial independence while increasing its production capacity for students' instruments. The primary factory in Mantes will continue to produce professional-level instruments, notably clarinets and oboes. "This new investment in the musical instruments sector reflects our commitment to building solid companies in this sector, companies which combine centuries-old know-how and growth," says Louis Godron, principle shareholder of Argos Soditic.
Created in 1989, Argos Soditic is an independent European capital investment group established in Paris, Geneva, and Milan.
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