Interview with Artisanat de la pierre

Interview with Emmanuel HEBRARD, manager of the company since 1996, stonemason for 5 generations :

I am 41 years old and I am the 5th generation of stonemasons in the family. I have been working in the family business ARTISANAT DE LA PIERRE for 24 years.

" I chose a Thibaut TSH 2200 diamond wire machine on 20 meter long of rolling track. 6 years later, the analysis was positive, this machine was the best investment for my company in many ways." "

Our company is based in Villedieu, Cantal, with 10 employees. A large part of my turnover (95%) is made with our stone: Bouzentes lava extracted from my own deposits.

Bouzentes lava

Bouzentès stone is a natural product born from a Hawaiian lava flow. The real "Bouzentès grey lava" was born 4.2 million years ago. The main characteristics of this product are that it does not freeze and is of grey/blue colour. The 3 mining operations have recent permits of 5 years for one, 15 years and 20 years for the last. The Prevencem (External Prevention Agency, mandatory in the extractive industries sector) visits these 3 sites each year and is regularly monitored by the DREAL (Regional Directorate for the Environment, Development and Housing) of Aurillac.  The health and safety record is updated manually. Environmental noise and dust are monitored and treated daily in a classic way.

Bouzentès stone is suitable for many fields of application depending on the treatments it has undergone. :

• floor covering (glued, on pot, on sand)
• facade cladding (glued or stapled)
• industry (resistance to hot water)
• urban and street furniture
• interior and exterior decoration
• pavers, paving stones, pool edges, fountains, etc.
• for all artistic expression (sculptures)
• very good acoustic properties

Some realizations in Bouzentes lava

Apart from Bouzentès lava, we also work with grey granite from Lozère, grey/yellow granite from Corrèze and beige sandstone from Tarn in terms of French materials. All our raw materials come from French quarries, with respect for the environment and people.

My activities are diverse if 50% of our work is destined to the roads the other 50% are divided into several sectors: decoration, building, sculpture and funerary for professionals and end users.

Workpiece machined with Thibaut TC 05 machine

The workshop was equipped with many machines when it was created in 1992 and I continued this investment, especially with the purchase of Thibaut machines. My first machine was a hydrosped hydraulic hose, then a Thibaut T108 multifunction machine, a flat polisher with Thibaut T500 generation PLC. I crossed the digital milestone 9 years ago by investing in a Thibaut 5 axis sawing machine TC1100 big stroke diameter which opened the company to other market perceptives. Indeed, thanks to digital machines I have been able to work with renowned designers and architectural firms. Thibaut machines have allowed me a faster production and a qualitative increase of my decoration products (furniture, sculptures,...) which has established a trust with my new partners who entrust me with more new projects in the top of the range!

In 2012 to rethink the primary sawing, after a very long reflection I chose a diamond wire sawing machine Thibaut TSH 2200 on a 20 linear meters track. 6 years later, the analysis is positive, this machine was the best investment for my company on many points.

Site internet : www.hebrard-et-fils.com