In the summer of 2024, the Groupama FDJ professional cycling team wore the brand new road bike helmet designed by Julbo during the Tour de France. A successful diversification for this historic manufacturer of outdoor sports glasses.
Born in 1888 in Morez (Jura), the cradle of glasses in France, Julbo, now based not far away in Longchaumois, began by manufacturing glacier glasses for the crystal makers of Chamonix, these crystal hunters exposed to very strong radiation solar. Having become a specialist in glacier glasses, the Jura SME has adapted to the needs of all outdoor sports. It relies on its 220 employees (including 110 in the Jura), themselves practicing athletes, to test the products and gradually diversify the ranges. “We are now present in sunglasses, optical glasses, solar glasses, connected or not, on glasses accessories, but also helmets and ski masks. Diversification arrived with the company’s growth ambitions», underlines Stéphanie Dugas, the marketing director. Three designers and two product managers from Julbo developed the Groupama FDJ helmet with the cycling team.
«The shaping and study of the performances of this new version alone required two years of R&D. The helmet was tested for more than 30 hours in the wind tunnel and required 70 hours in the field, with 33 professional riders. We ended up with the fastest model on the marketdetails Stéphanie Dugas. Our teams challenged their work to refine the design and technical considerations. Design is our workhorse. Without this internal development capacity, we could not be as innovative. »
Thanks to its designers, the SME, which achieved a turnover of 44 million euros in 2023, also has the ambition to meet the aesthetic expectations of its customers.
You are reading an article from L’Usine Nouvelle 3736 – November 2024
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Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
