Ten years ago the company Gaïatrend was born in Rohrbach les Bitche to manufacture the first French vaping liquids. Founded initially by Didier Martzel with only his wife and two sons, it now has 140 employees..
GAIATREND (ALFALIQUID), AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS IN THE VAPE SECTOR
In 2006, Didier Martzel is the head of an artificial flower business. He is worried about the health of his two sons, who have smoked for several years: “ I wanted my two sons to quit smoking. But as a father, I refused to advise them to use as a substitute vaping liquids of which I did not know the origin or the composition."
At the time, the electronic cigarette was only in its infancy, and the liquid market was dominated by Chinese production. In France, regulations are in their infancy. The engineer first tried to develop a French electronic cigarette, but he quickly fell back on the development of liquids to inhale. He filed his first patents in 2008, and started production shortly after, helped by his youngest son, Xavier, who oriented his studies towards chemistry and became the company's flavor specialist. His eldest son, Olivier, takes over the production.
Today the catalog has around a hundred flavors, 95% of which are sold on the French market. From 4, the company has grown to 140 employees, therefore several engineers, and dozens of technicians.
TO INTERNATIONAL
Gaïatrend is no longer the only French manufacturer, but he wants to keep his production in Rohrbach les Bitche, to ensure quality and traceability. Its commercial strategy is pushing the company to now seek export markets, particularly in the United States and Asia, which augurs well for massive new hires in the years to come according to Didier Martzel: “ There were times when we sometimes hired ten people a month, but now it's more like two to three depending on new needs. In 2016, the company was strongly structured to allow it now to move towards new markets, while remaining attentive to changes in regulations. ".
The use of vaping liquids is indeed subject to frequent regulatory changes in France, while some countries prohibit it outright. Since January 1, the law limits, for example, the capacity of bottles to 10ml and as for cigarettes, prohibits any advertising or sponsorship.
Source : France3 Regions
