Large international economic successes are often born of an innovation. The history of GPI France, manufacturer established in Beaune (Côte-d'Or) of plaques and tokens of casino table games, provides a good illustration. A day of 1925, Claude Grasset reads in the newspaper that a player has made skip the Bank of the casino of Monte-Carlo in infringing plates with ivory and mother-of-Pearl chips. This fact immediately gives him an idea. For two years, he worked with Etienne Burgundy, lithographer tradespeople, to experiment with the use of plastic in pins, or playing cards. The two partners offer their expertise to develop the plates of which the traditionally engraved value will be now printed and imprisoned under a thin layer of plastic to prevent any imitation.
"Eighty-five years later, we improve still the same technique", provides Rémi Nicolas, GPI France charge (EUR 18 million in sales, more than 70 of the world market outside America from the North, 180 employees). The company, then called "Burgundy & Grasset", began to make a name in the world of games, but the growth is not the appointment. The company takes really that off after the second world war with its acquisition by count Daniel Senard, that develops the process and exports it. The plates manufactured, say European, are also works of art by their design, their touch and their sound. "All great players have superstitions, including stroking or clash plates prior to their implementation and foibles," said Christophe Leparoux, Director of sales and marketing.
External growth
At the end of the 1980s, Burgundy & Grasset launches successfully in production by plastic injection of tokens. The manufacturer then change hands in 1994, under the influence of a group of investors who appointed Gérard Charlier, son-in-law of the comte Senard and developer all-out. Human remains in position when Burgundy & Grasset integrates in 1998 the Wilson holding company, controlled by a French family. Under his management, the company changes size to be offering its two main American competitors, Bud Jones in 2000 and Paulson in 2002. Elle became GPI for Gaming Partners International.
This change does not affect its growth by a permanent concern to innovate. The integration of smartcard products generalises to the point of currently represent 50 activity. "We sell at the same time counting software accompanied by electronic readers for almost instant inventory table, and cash in the coffers," explains Rémi Nicolas. The evolution of some markets also provides substantial boost. In 2002 surrender of Macao to China brought down the monopoly on games of billionaire Stanley Ho and boosts the performance of GPI.
"Our strength lies in our flexibility and our absolute seriously, because we can achieve up to unique pieces," argued Christophe Laparoux. The GPI company thus made tokens of "Casino Royale", a film of the saga "James Bond" released in 2006. She comes from making a $ 50 million plaque embedded diamonds. Another plaque out of its armoured workshops integrated lace Golden fine gold and woven on old business.
Photo credits: trace written GPI France factory is the specialist of plaques and tokens of casino table games photo credits: trace written GPI France factory is the specialist of plaques and tokens of casino table games
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