74 years ago, the bet was daring. But we did it. With 45 people and a turnover of €10M (including 70% exported), GALLAND is today a recognized specialist in the manufacture of parts for catenaries on the railway market. This success is the result of very long hours of research and studies in contact with and listening to our customers.
As CEO for 32 years, I am proud of the progress I have made. However, nothing predestined me to pursue a career in the railway world...
A FAMILY AFFAIR
It took sandcastles and summer vacations for our two families (D'huy/Galland) to become friends. Along the way, after starting out professionally in the artistic world as a sound technician, artistic agent and then importer of vintage guitars, I developed a new concept of audio cable in an artisanal way.
Due to a lack of resources, I was looking for an industrial structure to market this innovation and it was quite natural for me to approach my childhood friend Denis Galland, then Managing Director of Jacques Galland SA.
On April 1, 1988, I joined the company to create an audio department. And it's not a joke! Despite myself immersed in the world of overhead lines, my technician's soul was drawn to all these strange pieces perched 6m high. Little by little, Robert Dourneau, then Technical Director and grand master of overhead lines, diverted me from my primary objective to develop in me what would become a real passion. Supervised by the best, I learned and discovered the industrial world by joining the design office.
The GALLAND Company and its 25 employees, then mainly focused on the national market, had already built a solid reputation for its section insulators, tensioning devices and various equipment.
Two years later, we are working closely with SNCF engineering on the second generation of high-speed equipment; a highly enriching experience in contact with the pioneers and experts in catenary.
It is also for us the discovery of major projects such as the study and manufacture of equipment for the tunnel under the Manche. It will be an opportunity for me to set up quality plans and undertake the steps towards ISO 9001 certification.
OPENING TO THE INTERNATIONAL
1992 marked an important turning point for the company. Recognized for its know-how and the quality of its products, GALLAND went beyond its borders and took on an international dimension with our first major export market in China.
In France, it is the revival of the Parisian tramway and GALLAND, solicited by the engineering of the RATP, collaborates in the development of a new standard called the "LAC éco". The tramway fever is launched which will allow us to be present on all French tramways and even beyond to China and Brazil...
Three years later, I took up the position of Technical and Commercial Director. The GALLAND team was strengthened with the arrival of two employees, Dominique Bec in the design office and Marc Mattia in quality. From then on, we consolidated our presence on the national market and continued our export development: India, China, Japan are our daily business, not forgetting Europe, Canada, Brazil and North Africa.
In 2000, Denis Galland, Chairman and CEO, offered me the position of CEO, which I accepted, not without a certain pride.
INSTALLATION IN GIRONDE
Dedicated to my mission and always motivated, it is time for a change. The Company based at Choisy-le-Roi in the Paris region no longer meets the desired development criteria. We decide to relocate the company to set up in Aquitaine where the Galland Family already operates its aluminum foundry business and its wine estate. April 2003, we inaugurate the new site at La Lande de Fronsac.
The tool is efficient, the team is competent and dedicated, the way is clear. Benefiting from the synergy of the Fonderies du Bélier and under the watchful eye of Philippe Galland, the march forward is underway. The GALLAND company must be made a structured and competitive SME to face international competition.
Now, it's done. GALLAND is present in more than 25 countries. The innovation, the quality of our products and our know-how resulting from 74 years of experience left by our elders and our various collaborations, place us as key players in the catenary sector.
THE PASSAGE OF RELAIS
Today, it is time for me to pass the baton. That is why, at the end of this year, I will be leaving my position. GALLAND has been a big part of my life. In a few months, I will say goodbye to it, not without emotion. I sincerely thank the Galland family for having placed their trust in me for all these years. It was a real pleasure to live my passion in a friendly atmosphere where success rhymed with freedom to undertake.
I am sure that the entire GALLAND team will be keen to continue with passion and rigor this wonderful adventure that began in 1946, while respecting the values that have always been ours: Quality, Innovation and Services.
A big thank you and deep respect to all those who have shared my journey and who through their experience and knowledge have nourished my thirst for learning and enterprise.
Philippe D'huy
