ONCE THERE WAS …

1880, a crate factory

Originally from Lorraine, Joseph ADAM, settled in Bordeaux as a merchant and then set up a crate factory with the help of a steam-powered sawmill. He was later joined by his son, André ADAM. Availing of an immense local resource, J. ADAM & Fils used maritime pine from Les Landes to produce crates destined for the transportation of a variety of products ranging from soap to munitions, including the famous wines of Bordeaux.

1914, the sawmill

In spite of the difficulties inherent in this industrial sector, ADAM & Fils established itself as a nationally known company with more than 130 employees. Following the death of Joseph ADAM, his wife and son took over the reins of the company and increased the production capacity by acquiring a sawmill in 1914. The rest is history. The company was made official supplier to the crown of England, by appointment to Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

1975, competition from cardboard

Weakened by competition from cardboard packaging in the 1950s, the company was sold by Joseph ADAM's grandsons in 1975 to Gérard CABANE. He relocated it to Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, a town located at the very gates of the great Bordeaux wine estates. Ever faithful to local resources, ADAM & Fils has since continued to develop and diversify, constantly creating new products.

1990, the age of design and innovation

The 1990s marked the beginning of a new era for ADAM, the era of design and innovation. In 1996 the new owners of the company, Frédéric CHAPUT and Jean-Charles RINN, introduced an ambitious innovation policy. The company went through a long development phase, testing different materials and technologies (e.g. Plexiglas, leather, laser marking). This commitment enables them to continue to serve the most prestigious French brands.

2009, the leading French manufacturer of wood packaging

Since 2009, Jean-Charles RINN has managed the leading wood packaging company in France.  Thanks to his talented team, ranging from designers to artisans, ADAM's reputation continues to grow with the creation of products that combine function and aesthetics, tradition and innovation. In order to protect the environment and promote sustainable development, ADAM makes a point of using national resources (e.g. maritime pine, poplar, oak) with a view to renewing and preserving forests, as witnessed by PEFC certification.

2015, a successful relocation

In December 2015, Adam moved their production facility to a new site in Sainte-Hélène (Gironde department). This redeployment is a major step in Adam's development. Combining tradition, expertise, and innovation, the firm's activity - the production of wooden cases and boxes - called for a modern new facility. The company confirmed its regional roots by building their plant in the heart of the maritime pine forest. Furthermore, the new building's wooden framework is made with 450 m3 of 100% laminated maritime pine from the Landes de Gascogne forest, 100% PEFC. This successful relocation and major change was based on experimentation, innovation, and cooperation.

INNOVATION, A FUTURE VALUE

Adam is a firm believer in permanence

Permanence is rooted in its strategic choices: resolutely local sourcing, a partnership relationship with customers, a ubiquitous environmental dimension.
Innovation is integrated at every stage of production and is considered to be a key factor in maintaining permanence.

Four main innovation approaches :

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  Innovative products

  Thanks to increased production capacity and a technical design and development department proposing innovative, aesthetic solutions.

• 

  Innovative technology

  Thanks to an efficient industrial organisation and ongoing investment strategy at all stages of production: sawmill, machining, printing, assembling, and finishing.

• 

  Innovative environmental protection practices

  Thanks to a firm regional commitment and a sustainable development policy at every level: proximity to natural resources, efficient use of energy, low environmental impact of their building, intelligent waste management, etc.

• 

  Innovative social policy

  Thanks to corporate governance revolving around collaborative management that is respectful of people, work methods, and corporate culture.

Adam is part of the "bpifrance Excellence" network

This network brings together more than 2000 French entrepreneurs, selected for their capacity for development and innovation.

RENOWNED FOR EXCELLENT KNOW-HOW... SINCE 1880

Adam has received EPV certification

A Living Heritage Company (2012). This state-approved certification distinguishes French companies with excellent artisanal and industrial know-how. This national network brings together companies that have values in common: adaptability, a capacity to react and innovate, and a love of their profession.

HUMAN KNOW-HOW,
THE HEART OF THE COMPANY

Adam employs more than 60 people in four departments

(production, customer relations, design and technical development, management and administration), managed by Jean-Charles Rinn, CEO of the company since 2009. The company has always capitalised on its specific trades and skills (printing, assembling, finishing). It develops its own know-how by training future employees in-house.

TECHNOLOGICAL KNOW-HOW

An integrated production process for production that is 100% French.

Adam masters the whole production process by integrating all stages from product design to manufacture: milling, machining, assembling, finishing. The company can thus offer specific customized products in response to customer expectations.

A resolute innovation policy with a design & technical development bureau

Created in 1998, the design and technical development bureau enables Adam to integrate creation and innovation at all stages of production. It designs new products based on innovative technical and aesthetic solutions. It is applied to all products: traditional wooden crates, luxury boxes, creative POS. Today, new products constitute more than 10% of the company's production.

This bureau designs made-to-measure solutions and customized top-of-the-range products (crates and boxes), backed up by templates, technical plans and prototypes.

A COMMITTED COMPANY

A shared conviction

As director, Jean-Charles Rinn is convinced by a sustainable development approach that reconciles economic efficiency, social equity and environmental preservation. He makes a point of sharing this commitment with the company stakeholders (customers, employees, partners).

An environmental commitment that is reasserted daily

Combined with a social innovation policy, this commitment guides the company's choices throughout the production process: local sourcing, choice of wood type, product traceability, waste treatment.

A deliberate proximity policy

When Jean-Charles Rinn bought out the company in 2009, he chose to refocus its activity on local know-how and to promote for local sourcing. There are two essential reasons for this choice: to promote the local economy and short supply circuits, to support local employment and limit the carbon footprint of its products.

Adam is the first compagny from the Aquitaine area, France, to get awarded the Etienne Marcel trophy
(december 2014).
This National Prize awards, once a year, a remarkable sustainable and economical improvement

An equality and diversity policy laid down in texts and facts.

ADAM was one of the first businesses in Nouvelle-Aquitaine to commit to a dual label approach, « Equality-Diversity », and received in 2017 then 2019 the « Alliance » label. For more than ten years, professional equality between women and men, rejection of any form of discrimination as well as the active promotion of workforce diversity have all been the founding blocks of ADAM’s social policy, and brought tangible results.
Our Workplace equality index is 94 out of 100 for the year 2023. Furthermore, the agreement initially reached in 2017 was renewed in 2023 and enriched with new commitments aiming to notably reinforce our listening and advice unit, the prevention of sexist behaviours and the fight against stereotypes.

A RENOWNED AND OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED COMPANY

Back up by certification and official recognition :

PEFC certification since 2009

Cette certification garantit que nos produits sont réalisés à partir de bois issus de forêts gérées durablement. Adam applique la méthode du "transfert du pourcentage moyen" pour calculer la part d’approvisionnements en matières premières certifiées et pour un minimum de 70% les produits sont commercialisés sous la marque PEFC.

Made in Aquitaine

Installed in the heart of the Aquitaine forest, Adam promotes local sourcing. With the "Made in Aquitaine" registered label, introduced by the Union of Regional Maritime Pine Industries, the company certifies the traceability of the maritime pine used to manufacture crates and boxes.

A CO2 calculator for 100% of products

A particularly innovative environmental accounting system is used to calculate the carbon footprint of each product manufactured.

Adam is now committed to ISO 26000 certification

Iso 26000, the reference in SR (Social Responsibility). For starters, the company joined the 3D (Destination Développement Durable®) collective, Destination Sustainable Development. Launched by Coop de France Aquitaine and the AFNOR group in 2005, the role of this programme is to support agricultural cooperatives and agri-food industries in their approach to social responsibility. Since 2014, it publishes each year its CSR report which affirms its commitments through 5 thematic indicators related to ISO26000 and GRI standards.

A COMPANY ON A HUMAN SCALE

Feedback

The idea of human capital, which generates innovation and values, comes into its own in Adam. In collaboration with a University of Bordeaux 4 Laboratory, the company is committed to an annual innovative approach to register and assess employee well-being. The goal: a better appreciation of company management and shared progress targets.
Concrete actions have been implemented: a company health insurance and a profit-sharing system, employee involvement in the company's social responsibility procedure.

Consultation

Informed by its SR commitment, the company involves its employees in studies and decision making for a certain strategic projects (e.g. forward planning for employment and skills, risk management, sustainable development).

A SUPPORTIVE PARTNER COMPANY

As a company, Adam is very involved in institutional and professional networks

It regularly cooperates with these structures on economic, social and environmental questions: UIRPM (Union of Regional Maritime Pine Industries), Medef (commission for social affairs and sustainable development), CARSAT (retirement and health insurance), CRRDT (Regional Consultative Committee for Technological Research and Development), Innovalis Aquitaine (Regional Agency for Innovation), University of Bordeaux, regional schools and training centres.

Adam plays a role in social life by supporting educational, cultural, sporting and environmental projects

in the long and short term. This year Adam and the Atelier d’Eco solidaire, a creative Aquitaine recycling plant that transforms waste into value, celebrate four years of partnership.