Company Thuasne was created in 1847 in the field of narrow elastic fabrics. In the 50's, the company refocused its technology and positioned on the high value, added medical textile products, with the concept of 'products of elastic contention'. In this field, the group produces the following product ranges: lumbar belts, elastic contention bands, medical bands, orthesis (ankle protection and medical knee pads); medical stockings and pantyhoses, and products of home maintenance. Then, in the year 2000, the group evolved to the new concept of 'movement therapeutic' by widening its offer to the medical and sporting universe, and pursued its strategy of industrial integration, focused on this concept. In 2000, the company took over a Dutch group specialized in home maintenance products. Thanks to this focus, the company development accelerated and the Thuasne group is now the European leader in the medical and sporting textile markets. Between 1991 and 2001, the sales turnover was multiplied by three and in 2002/2003, the sales exceeded 100 million euros with a manpower of approximately 800 people. One employee out of two is still employed on the group's 'historical' sites, next to Saint-Etienne. Thuasne pursues 3 goals: to care for, to protect, and to develop, while following two axes: 1.Innovation and optimization of the products quality 2. Exploration and penetration of the global market.
[...] Percentage of the sales turnover realized out of France: 1990: 2003: Thuasne pursues a double objective with the international markets: ▪ Consolidation of French market ▪ Regular and planned opening on the global markets In fact, the group is currently present in the most world regions, under various legal forms: Subsidiary companies: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and the United States. Distributors: in the whole of Europe, North Africa, Middle-East, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia . Agents (world network of agents): Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, the USA, Norway, Portugal . [...]
[...] Thus, the Spanish subsidiary company acquired a strong expertise in technical orthopedy, which can swarm in Europe. This subsidiary company currently has a network of 10 points of sale, and its vocation is to develop its commercial action. In addition, the international strategy aims, on the one hand, to market each year a score of products protected by international patents, and on the other hand, to develop establishments abroad. To serve this purpose, an active search for international approvals was launched: ▪ United Kingdom: AMTAC Approval – 1993 ▪ United States: FDA Approval – 1994 ▪ Czech Rep: SUKL Approval (Czech Ministry of Health) – Establishment in Czech Republic After Thuasne took over a company close to Prague, the group got a foothold in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and installed a new Thuasne unit : Thuasne Czech Republic sro Nad Turbovou Prague 5 This company wholly became a subsidiary company, like the Benelux, Germany, Spain or Italy units. [...]
[...] In the current growth in consumer expenditure, the demand for health devices will not be an exception. In parallel, on its markets of reference (intra-European) the group has undeniable competitive assets in the positioning of its products and its numerous innovations. Important potentials of market exist thus in the following fields: - Bio-communicating Textiles - "Intelligent" Textiles & polymers - Nanotechnologies All these fields open the way to new product lines for the markets of widened Europe: Applications - health: Tele-monitoring: teletransmission of medical parameters for the old people, the disabled people. [...]
[...] These products concern indications of traumatology, orthopedy, functional rehabilitation, rheumatology and sports medicine. They are approved and refunded by France's public health insurance and various welfare systems in several European countries. The target is constituted by pharmacists, hospitals, private clinics, truss manufacturers and orthopedists everywhere in Europe. Thuasne runs the brands "Ligaflex, Dynastab, Ortel, Biplast, Theraplast" Widening of the customer target Beyond these reference products, Thuasne now seeks to widen its offer with the concept of "movement therapeutics", specifically improving its coverage of sportsmen protection. [...]
[...] One employee out of two is still employed on the group's "historical" sites, next to Saint-Etienne. Thuasne pursues 3 goals: to care for - to protect – and to develop, while following two axes: 1. Innovation, optimization of the products quality 2. Exploration & penetration of global market 1. The group's industrial and commercial strategy Unlike industries located downstream from the industrial process (mesh, clothing), which are strongly labour intensive, Thuasne operates on the TTU market (Textile of Technical Use) which is only slightly impacted by the deflation of prices witnesses in the clothing industry. [...]
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