News On 27 August, Audemars Piguet inaugurated its new manufactory. Offering 300 work places, it will allow the company to be ready for the economic recovery.
In June 2007, Jasmine Audemars, Chair of the Board of Directors of Audemars Piguet, and Georges-Henri Meylan, the then CEO, laid in Le Brassus – the firm’s birthplace - the first stone of the new Les Forges manufactory, named after the street on which it is built. Two years later, it was the company’s new CEO, Philippe Merck, who had the pleasure of inaugurating this magnificent production centre, the fruit of an investment totalling 35 million francs.
The new Manufacture des Forges meets the Minergie-Eco standards which are expressed through enhanced user comfort and energy savings within a healthy and environment-friendly construction. Materials that are either recycled or boast a low environmental impact have been used throughout: fibro-cement for the outer walls, eloxed aluminium for the window frames, non-toxic solvent-free floor coverings, FSC-certified wooden floors, water-based paints, etc.
A wood-fired heating plant that is neutral with respect to carbon emissions has been built near the site in order to ensure remote heating of the Audemars Piguet, and in due course of a hundred or so either buildings in the village. In parallel, a free-cooling system has been chosen for the premises. Entirely in tune with the typical weather conditions in the Vallée de Joux, this system uses outside air for cooling, thereby avoiding the need to use high-energy consuming air-conditioning.
Also driven by the same concern for its employees’ comfort and well-being, Audemars Piguet applied the same precaution principle to the electrical and telecommunications equipment. All sources of magnetic fields were carefully controlled so as to avoid any waves that might potentially be detrimental to health. The construction was also designed in such a way as to optimise the working areas while integrating a maximum of functional criteria. The production flow has therefore been organised by profession and by production stage.
At the end of 2008, thanks to the commitment of the contracted companies and their teams, the first workshops were installed within this pleasant setting featuring modern architectural lines, resolutely geared towards the quality of working conditions and meeting optimal environment and energy-saving standards.
The exterior landscaping contributes to ensuring the harmonious integration of the building within this residential area. The stream running through Le Brassus has been revitalised so as to run through its original bed. In selecting the type of plants destined to enhance the site, clear preference was given to regional trees and flowers, such as the rosemary leaf willow that will help stabilise the banks of the stream. Within a few months, this greenery will have sprung up and spread out for all to admire.
The Manufacture des Forges embodies the brand values of tradition, excellence and daring, associating concern for users’ well-being with technological innovations and respect for the environment.
September 14, 2009
