He built up the factory, introduced modern technology and made the Chappée brand of cast iron products widely recognised.

[2] Victor Doré, who had worked in the Antoigné forge, formed a partnership with Joseph Chevé, and in 1841 they founded the Saint-Pavin factory in Le Mans to smelt all types of metal.

In December 1854, they leased the Antoigné forge and decided to rebuild the blast furnace, at first only to feed the Saint-Pavin foundry.

[4] As of 1889, the Antoigné factory was connected by a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) steam tramway to the Montbizot station on the railway from Le Mans to Caen.

It had hydraulic motors of about 200 horsepower, backed up by steam engines in case of drought or excess water.

[8] Port-Brillet foundry had been built by Michel de Guerne in 1619, with water-powered forges coming into operation in 1623.

At the time of the 1889 Exposition Universelle the factory was engaged in secondary melting and produced light products such as pots, stoves, irons and other commercial goods.

Armand Chappée was one of three entrepreneurs from Sarthe who accounted for almost 90% of patents in the region in the 1880s, the other two being the hemp-weaver Louis-Antoine Bary and Ernest-Sylvain Bollée.

The centerpiece was a cast iron reproduction of a monumental fountain in Louis XVI style, with a basin from which a nymph emerged spilling water from an urn.

Around this, in carefully arranged disarray, were cast iron pots, irons, weights for scales, fireplace grills, small stoves, boxes, copying presses, sewer grills, locks, umbrella stands, fire hydrants and valves.

[13] There were many pipes, a candelabra, washtub, bakery oven, screw press, gargoyles, feet for garden benches and many other objects.

[13] Elsewhere, the company exhibited a mobile oven on wheels that was used by the army to cook meat, but could also be used for bakery and other types of food.

The two plants made many types of iron pipe, radiators, pumps, kitchenware, motor blocks and decorative ironwork.

[15] Around 1900, Chappée's factories began to produce central heating boilers, to be placed in the cellar, and cast iron radiators.

[14] The factories also provided schools, children's day care centers, sporting, musical and artistic societies, a savings bank system and retirement pensions.

[11] When a worker was the victim of a workplace accident that permanently disabled him, a pension was set up for him according to his needs, reduced by a percentage as each of his children reached age 18.

[11] The prefect of Sarthe called Chappée a "militant reactionary" in 1889, but there is no question that his paternalism was of benefit to his employees.

In 1877, Chappée recommended Dreux to the leaders of the Lorraine steel industry who were looking for someone to manage their comptoir.

[18] Renaud Oscar d'Adelswärd and Jean-Joseph Labbé co-founded the Comptoir Métallurgique de Longwy in 1876, with Alexandre Dreux as the first executive director.

He was charged with excessive personal expenses, engaging in contracts he could not satisfy and providing inaccurate accounts, and sentenced to eight months in prison.