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Things are moving in the optical industry. France, and particularly the Jura region, is benefiting from a renewed interest in eyewear. The Kering Eyewear group is finalizing the acquisition of a new American player, the eyewear manufacturer Maui Jim.
The French optical sector seems to be regaining its appeal and is investing to meet demand. It is in the heart of the Jura that the magic is happening. In the Thierry frame factory, 500,000 frames are delivered each year. And if the name of the subcontractor is not known to the general public, it is a reference in the sector. It is the largest eyewear production plant still active in France. In all, nearly 3 million frames are produced each year by French manufacturers.
For the past ten years, the family business has been investing about 1 million euros per year, or 10% of its annual turnover, in the modernization of its production site in Morbier. But this modernization does not prevent the traditional know-how that remains present, especially in the basement, in the polishing workshop. “We have stayed with the traditional method, which is more precise. You need real know-how to control the polishing workshops: it changes according to the seasons, the temperature, the hygrometry”, explains Joël Thierry, the boss, who is also the president of the Jura Eyewear Manufacturers’ Professional Union.
Back in grace
The Jura, the historic cradle of eyewear manufacturing, experienced waves of relocation in the 1980s and 1990s, particularly to China. In fact, the vast majority of frames sold in French stores today are now made in Asia. Added to this is a concentration movement, accelerated by the 2018 merger of Italy’s Luxottica and France’s Essilor, which created a hyper-powerful global giant, EssilorLuxottica.
Over the past three decades, the Jura region has lost a significant number of manufacturers. The figures show that the eyewear industry now employs only a thousand people, compared to 10,000 in the 1950s.
This was without taking into account the global covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted the supply chains. And reawakened interest in “made in France”. “Our order books are full until February-March” confirms Joël Thierry. With the wind in its sails, the company is also planning to inaugurate a new site for a big name in luxury goods.
“There are essentially two large basins, the Ain and the Jura. The sector experienced a downturn in the 1980s and 1990s, with a major wave of relocations, both for lens and frame production. However, in recent years there has been a strong desire to reindustrialize, reinforced by the health crisis. For the manufacture of lenses, which are custom-made for each customer, this is linked to the desire to respond quickly to demand,” said Laure-Anne Copel, General Secretary of GIF (Groupement des industriels et fabricants de l’optique).
Kering finalizes acquisition of Maui Jim
Other news on the optical front: the continuation of the acquisition of Maui Jim by Kering Eyewear, which began last March. The French luxury group has announced that it now holds more than 90% of the capital of the American eyewear manufacturer Maui Jim, according to the terms announced on March 14, 2022.
The acquisition of the remaining capital should take place by the end of 2022 and Maui Jim will be consolidated in the Kering group’s accounts as of October 1, 2022.
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Things are moving in the optical industry. France, and particularly the Jura region, is benefiting from a renewed interest in eyewear. The Kering Eyewear group is finalizing the acquisition of a new American player, the eyewear manufacturer Maui Jim.
The French optical sector seems to be regaining its appeal and is investing to meet demand. It is in the heart of the Jura that the magic is happening. In the Thierry frame factory, 500,000 frames are delivered each year. And if the name of the subcontractor is not known to the general public, it is a reference in the sector. It is the largest eyewear production plant still active in France. In all, nearly 3 million frames are produced each year by French manufacturers.
For the past ten years, the family business has been investing about 1 million euros per year, or 10% of its annual turnover, in the modernization of its production site in Morbier. But this modernization does not prevent the traditional know-how that remains present, especially in the basement, in the polishing workshop. “We have stayed with the traditional method, which is more precise. You need real know-how to control the polishing workshops: it changes according to the seasons, the temperature, the hygrometry”, explains Joël Thierry, the boss, who is also the president of the Jura Eyewear Manufacturers’ Professional Union.
Back in grace
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Things are moving in the optical industry. France, and particularly the Jura region, is benefiting from a renewed interest in eyewear. The Kering Eyewear group is finalizing the acquisition of a new American player, the eyewear manufacturer Maui Jim.
The French optical sector seems to be regaining its appeal and is investing to meet demand. It is in the heart of the Jura that the magic is happening. In the Thierry frame factory, 500,000 frames are delivered each year. And if the name of the subcontractor is not known to the general public, it is a reference in the sector. It is the largest eyewear production plant still active in France. In all, nearly 3 million frames are produced each year by French manufacturers.
For the past ten years, the family business has been investing about 1 million euros per year, or 10% of its annual turnover, in the modernization of its production site in Morbier. But this modernization does not prevent the traditional know-how that remains present, especially in the basement, in the polishing workshop. “We have stayed with the traditional method, which is more precise. You need real know-how to control the polishing workshops: it changes according to the seasons, the temperature, the hygrometry”, explains Joël Thierry, the boss, who is also the president of the Jura Eyewear Manufacturers’ Professional Union.
Back in grace
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