Family history
The history of Bonnavion is, above all, the story of a resolutely forward-looking family. It began in the 1950s in an industrial basin historically known for mechanics and subsequently evolved into innovative sectors and technologies.
START OF THE STORY: THE 1950s
BONNAVION was founded in the 1950s by André Bonnavion, the grandfather of the current manager, in Firminy, the industrial heartland where he lived.
After having developed sub-contracting activities in welding and general mechanics for major local clients, the company explored the tourism sector, designing, producing and selling camping trailers.
When the founder died prematurely, his son, Claude Bonnavion, took the company forward into the field of mechanical construction.
1972: MOVE TO THE CURRENT SITE AND INVESTMENTS IN PRODUCTION
In 1972, the company left its premises to move to the industrial site in Bas Mas in Firminy and began to develop a regional client base. The site was to undergo successive expansions in 1978, 1986 and 1999.
Since 1978, when the company was created in its current form, BONNAVION has regularly invested in its machining capacity relating to medium and large scale machining to supply parts and assemblies to clients in the steel, mining and quarry industries and in arms and plastics manufacturing sectors.
THE 1990s: IMPROVING QUALIFICATIONS FOR DEMANDING MARKETS
In the 1990s, BONNAVION decided to turn towards sectors with greater qualitative and documentary demands. The company undertook qualifications relating to its operating methods, qualified its sheet metal working team, worked towards quality certification and integrated three-dimensional inspections in an air-conditioned laboratory.
Over this period, Claude was joined by his sons Hubert and André Bonnavion, as well as Frédéric Combette.
The 2000s: ANDRÉ BONNAVION TAKES OVER THE COMPANY
In the 2000s, André Bonnavion replaced Claude Bonnavion at the head of the company. Investments in machining resources continued, particularly in vertical turning, to respond to the demands of clients in the energy and subsea oil sectors. The company adopted an approach towards the environment and safety.
BONNAVION worked on significant projects in the nuclear and defence sectors. Over this period, the company embarked upon a strategy of transferring skills, with a view to keeping its teams up-to-date.
… AND IN RECENT YEARS
The company continues to advance: building on its vision of the future, the company began to streamline its activities in order to continue its development, with a basis of over a million euros in equity in 2016.
BONNAVION SECURE SYSTEM is certified according to ISO 9001 / 14001, OHSAS 18001 standards as well as ISO 3834-2 for its sheet metal working activities.
It is structured around project leaders and defines its values with all staff, to ensure the company’s reliability, innovation, proximity and attention to clients, commitment and continuous improvement.
