Thanks to the archives and the interview with Marc Roussel, the current business manager, Philippe Savouret went back in time to an already century-old company, Les Forges, even if most believe that there is only a large, mysterious hangar on rue Félix-Grélot with the only indication of its logo at the entrance.
1924, Marc Roussel’s grandfather created a workshop at 30, rue Carnot. You had to enter through the house to go further down at the back to the bottom of the garden overlooking rue Gambetta, what we call the “old shops” typically in Nogent. There was all the equipment, it was a lot of sport to install the machines. The company had 25 workers who made many manicure instruments, sewing tools and scissors. They worked for large houses like “Le Tanneur”, master leatherworker since 1898.
In 1950, Serge, Marc’s father, moved to 10, rue Félix-Grélot. He built a new building at the back of the property in 1967. Around fifty workers worked there with the same productions. A change came in 1969.
The Forges du Champ-de-Mars
Next door, at 8, rue Grélot, a forge called “Les forges du Champ-de-Mars” existed since 1924 because it was located near the Champ-de-Mars, a space reserved in towns for military maneuvers (Mars being the God of war). This space was located between Avenue du 8-Mai today and Rue du Champ-de-Mars which recalls this place. It encompassed the entire space of the two current nursing homes.
These forges did a lot of work for the Société Nogentaise d’Instruments de Chirurgie (SNIC) located at 1, rue Leclerc. In 1969, the company wanted to separate from the forge and sell all the land, including the wood behind it. The Cornu company takes over Snic and Serge Roussel buys the Forges du Champ-de-Mars. He renamed the whole Forges du Champ-de-Mars-Roussel.
At that time, there were 60 workers who continued production to which were added the forge’s products in steel, bronze, brass and light alloys. The equipment consisted of six drop hammers from 300 to 1,200 kg, a 360 t toggle press, a 600 t friction press and 20 cutting presses from 6 to 200 t. Its operation was divided between a mechanical workshop, a machining workshop, a treatment workshop, a polishing workshop and a chrome plating workshop.
The customers were very diverse: cutlery, surgery, automobiles, aviation, railways, army (Panhard alternators, small safety blades for grape harvests, management billet for Peugeot (50,000 per year) particularly for Africa.
During this beautiful period, we found photos where the company celebrated Saint Eloi. (To be continued)
2023-12-31 09:04:33
#jhm #Forges #ChampdeMars #Forges #HautMarnaises
