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  • The Covid-19 health crisis has affected many sectors of the French economy.

    20 Minutes

     presents companies and craftsmen who, despite the confinement and the difficulties linked to the epidemic, have seen their activity grow or even explode.

  • At La Fouillouse near Saint-Etienne, Desjoyaux, the world leader in underground swimming pools, recorded strong growth in sales during the deconfinement.

    An attraction for private pools observed for several years and which is not denied.

When he saw the entire country plunge into general confinement, last March, Jean-Louis Desjoyaux feared seeing his family business, based in La Fouillouse near Saint-Etienne (Loire), submerged by the eddies.

But seven months later, the world leader in in-ground swimming pools has just ended its 2020 financial year with record sales.

"We're going to exceed 100 million euros, that's historic," enthuses

20 Minutes,

the CEO, whose father founded at the end of the 1960s this company present today in 80 countries around the world. .

The designer and manufacturer of swimming pools, who made his reputation thanks to his patented manufacturing techniques (formwork and filtration) and his local industrial production, is therefore one of those French companies which, far from having sunk because of the Covid-19 , seem to be riding on the health crisis.

A situation due to multiple factors according to the 67-year-old entrepreneur, who spared no efforts to avoid the sinking last spring.

After having ceased activity for a while at the start of the health crisis, Desjoyaux did not wait for the end of confinement to recall its teams.

“We relaunched the B2C activity [from business to consumer] because I felt that in a garden, health safety instructions were respected.

We reopened our stores in accordance with these rules.

100% of our employees have agreed to return to work, ”explains Jean-Louis Desjoyaux.

Then during the deconfinement, the attraction of the French for swimming pools, observed for years due, in particular, to global warming, was not denied.

On the contrary.

"A top exterior"

“For 4-5 years, there has been an awareness of the French who want to refocus on their primary or secondary residence.

They want a top, cocooning exterior, ”observes the CEO.

Connected veranda, pétanque court, barbecue, swimming pool… “The exterior has become a part of the house,” he notes.

After weeks of living in seclusion last spring, the public, in full uncertainty about the summer vacation, paid even more attention to his home.

"We did not feel the pandemic because people wanted to invest in them," adds Jean-Louis Desjoyaux, whose analysis of the situation is verified on the results of the company.

“In recent years, our growth was 10%.

At the end of February, we were at 20%.

Containment slowed us down a bit, but we ended the year at the end of August with growth of around 10%.

So, all is well for us ”, rejoices the company director who employs 240 people in France.

A marked increase in the end of the year

The September start-up, which marks the start of the 2021 fiscal year for the company, was not disrupted either by the strong signs of an economic slowdown observed in multiple sectors.

In September and October, Desjoyaux saw its turnover increase by 2 million euros compared to last year.

“And November, December, it's won, says the entrepreneur.

We still have four, five good years ahead of us ”.

The family business is focusing on its international development and aims for 50% of export sales within four years.

“We do most of our exports to Europe.

Today, the market is supported in Germany, Italy and Spain, even in this context of crisis.

We are also establishing ourselves in many countries, ”adds the CEO of Desjoyaux, whose basins have recently been sold in Libya and Mauritius.

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  • Crisis

  • Coronavirus

  • Industry

  • Saint Etienne

  • Lyon

  • Company

  • Swimming pool

  • Economy

  • Society