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SAINT-GOBAIN TODAY
2. Corporate culture
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SAINT-GOBAIN
- REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2016
Corporate culture
2.
MAJOR MILESTONES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GROUP
2.1
17th century: origins
mirror manufacturing. In 1684, it produces the mirrors for the
Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles and sets up
operations in the village of Saint-Gobain, in Picardy (Northern
France) in 1692.
In 1665, encouraged by his minister Colbert, King Louis XIV of
France creates the Manufacture des Glaces (glass
manufacturing plant) to challenge Venetian supremacy in
18th and 19th centuries: the birth and growth
of a major company
new architectural styles relying on iron and glass, primarily for
major public facilities, such as covered markets, railway
stations and covered arcades.
the century. In the 19th century it benefits from the growth of
Mirrors become fashionable and more affordable. With orders
from both royalty and private individuals, the Manufacture
des Glaces is now modernized, employing over a thousand
workers, and sees increasing prosperity over the course of
and Spain in 1905. Ongoing international expansion remains
one of the hallmarks of Saint-Gobain’s history to this day.
Facing sharp international competition, Saint-Gobain
diversifies into the chemicals sector. At the end of the
century, its chemical sector and glass-making activities are of
equal weight. The Group begins its international expansion in
1858, moving into Germany. More European countries follow,
with Italy in 1889, Belgium in 1898, the Netherlands in 1904,
20th century: a high-growth global group
Saint-Gobain is now developing interests in all types of glass
products (window glass, bottles, optical glass, etc.). The
revolution in automobile design and modern architecture,
which requires large glazed surfaces, provide it with new
opportunities. In 1970, Saint-Gobain divests its chemicals
business and merges with cast iron pipe company
Pont-à-Mousson.
efforts and accelerates its geographic expansion, increasing
the number of countries in which it has a presence from 18 to
64 between 1986 and 2010.
1990 doubles Saint-Gobain’s presence in the United States,
opening up new markets for the company and providing the
opportunity to develop expertise in abrasives, plastics and
ceramics. The acquisition of Poliet in 1996 provides the basis
for developing the distribution businesses. The Group then
goes on to make acquisitions in building materials
distribution. In parallel, Saint-Gobain intensifies its research
In the closing decades of the 20th century, key new
acquisitions reshape an increasingly international and
increasingly diversified group. The acquisition of Norton in
daily life
21st century: reinventing construction and
Saint-Gobain focuses its strategy on sustainable construction,
as well as continuing to serve a number of industrial markets.
With its extensive network of assets, the Group is growing
steadily in emerging countries. The acquisition in 2005 of
British Plaster Board, the global leader in plasterboard, is
Saint-Gobain’s largest ever. In combination with Isover glass
wool, it makes Saint-Gobain the world number one in interior
solutions. The Group is also continuing to make acquisitions
to expand its building materials distribution network in
Europe. The sale of Verallia, the Group’s glass jar and
bottle-making subsidiary, in 2015 was part of a strategy of
business portfolio optimization. In 2016, Saint-Gobain
unveiled a new brand identity and reiterated its mission to
create great living places and improve daily life.
SAINT-GOBAIN ARCHIVES, AN ASSET FOR THE GROUP
purposes, all kinds of documents or data of long-term
importance which are currently stored in business application
databases, on individual computers and in email inboxes. The
first phase of this lengthy collaborative project will complete
in summer 2017.
the French subsidiaries. Saint-Gobain Archives is also open to
researchers and is available to assist with the promotion of
Saint-Gobain’s historical heritage. The Group’s archiving
policy aims to safeguard the life cycle of archive documents
and data, their creation and their availability. For this purpose,
in 2016 the Group embarked on a major digital archiving
operation, using the Darwin (“Digital archives readable with
infinity”) solution which is capable of adapting to future
developments in digital formats. The value of Darwin is not
limited to our heritage. It is intended to store, for legal
Saint-Gobain is committed to preserving its history. Its archive
facility, located in the French town of Blois and opened in
1980, has the task of collecting, storing and circulating
historical documents and current archives. It has 80 linear
kilometers of storage capacity and is available for use by all