19/02/2018 - 08:18
<p>When they arrive in Dieppe, visitors tend to head directly to the beach, the marina, the shopping streets and the big supermarkets, often not realising that there are still many factories and working sites in this neither snobby nor shabby coastal town. However, several recent news stories have reminded everyone that Dieppe remains an important industrial and working-class town.</p>
<p>Last month, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn and Bruno Le Maire, France’s Economy and Finance Minister, inaugurated the new Alpine A110 sports car production line at the brand’s original factory, right here in Dieppe. The plant was created by Jean Rédélé in 1969, fourteen years after he gave birth to the name Alpine at his garage in the heart of town. His cars contested the Le Mans 24-hour race eleven times between 1963 and 1978 and went from success to success, winning a first world title for rallying in 1971 and then again in 1973, the year the company was bought by Renault. Although Alpine never died, it rose from the ashes in 2012, when the famous French car manufacturer officially relaunched the brand and promised that a new model would soon be commercialised.</p>
<p>Following two years of conversion to alliance manufacturing standards and, more specifically, for production of the new A110, the plant on the outskirts of town is now qualified to produce premium vehicles. In parallel to this transformation, the factory has raised workforce levels by nearly sixty percent with the recruitment of 150 staff members over the past two years. The “Made in Dieppe” label is now widely recognised as a synonym of quality and excellence, even more so since the 33rd ‘Festival Automobile International’ held in Paris last month saw the new Alpine A110 claim the Most Beautiful Car of 2017 Award.</p>
<p>Not far from the Alpine plant, another Dieppe factory was under the spotlight a few days ago when the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. An impressive meridian lift – a multi-level circular platform, equipped with a unique elevating system, was at the centre of the stage. The system is developed by Serapid, a world leader in heavy linear motion, electro-mechanical, rigid chain technology, whose French plant is based in Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles, just outside Dieppe.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, not all news is uplifting, as on Saturday 17 February, a big explosion at a factory on the port cost the lives of two workers and injured several others. The blast at the Saipol factory engulfed the six-storey building while a team of over fourty firefighters, police agents and rescuers attended the scene. Avril, the company that owns the plant, is France's leading manufacturer of vegetable oils which are used in food products and for biofuels. Our deepest sympathy goes to the families, friends and all those affected by this tragic event.</p>
Industrial past, present and future
<p>When they arrive in Dieppe, visitors tend to head directly to the beach, the marina, the shopping streets and the big supermarkets, often not realising that there are still many factories and working sites in this neither snobby nor shabby coastal town. However, several recent news stories have reminded everyone that Dieppe remains an important industrial and working-class town.</p>
<p>Last month, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn and Bruno Le Maire, France’s Economy and Finance Minister, inaugurated the new Alpine A110 sports car production line at the brand’s original factory, right here in Dieppe. The plant was created by Jean Rédélé in 1969, fourteen years after he gave birth to the name Alpine at his garage in the heart of town. His cars contested the Le Mans 24-hour race eleven times between 1963 and 1978 and went from success to success, winning a first world title for rallying in 1971 and then again in 1973, the year the company was bought by Renault. Although Alpine never died, it rose from the ashes in 2012, when the famous French car manufacturer officially relaunched the brand and promised that a new model would soon be commercialised.</p>
<p>Following two years of conversion to alliance manufacturing standards and, more specifically, for production of the new A110, the plant on the outskirts of town is now qualified to produce premium vehicles. In parallel to this transformation, the factory has raised workforce levels by nearly sixty percent with the recruitment of 150 staff members over the past two years. The “Made in Dieppe” label is now widely recognised as a synonym of quality and excellence, even more so since the 33rd ‘Festival Automobile International’ held in Paris last month saw the new Alpine A110 claim the Most Beautiful Car of 2017 Award.</p>
<p>Not far from the Alpine plant, another Dieppe factory was under the spotlight a few days ago when the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. An impressive meridian lift – a multi-level circular platform, equipped with a unique elevating system, was at the centre of the stage. The system is developed by Serapid, a world leader in heavy linear motion, electro-mechanical, rigid chain technology, whose French plant is based in Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles, just outside Dieppe.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, not all news is uplifting, as on Saturday 17 February, a big explosion at a factory on the port cost the lives of two workers and injured several others. The blast at the Saipol factory engulfed the six-storey building while a team of over fourty firefighters, police agents and rescuers attended the scene. Avril, the company that owns the plant, is France's leading manufacturer of vegetable oils which are used in food products and for biofuels. Our deepest sympathy goes to the families, friends and all those affected by this tragic event.</p>
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