Balsan (company)

[4] Although it went through periods of prosperity following more difficult stages, the Manufacture laid a solid foundation for the regional economy as the leading business in Châteauroux and Bas-Berry.

His project was both innovative and ambitious: in addition to the 60,000 m² of workshops and warehouses it also included administrative buildings, a gas production plant, water towers, a worker township of 100 homes, a dispensary and a school.

Its leaders, Augustus and Charles Balsan, led in parallel political careers; both elected representatives of the department of l’Indre.

The Châteauroux factories went on to mainly produce carded fabric intended for making uniforms for the Armed Forces, including the "blue horizon" worn by the soldiers of the First World War, and the various public administrations.

He made contact with American factories specializing in tufting, a new textile production process used for creating carpets, bath mats, bedspreads.

After its opening on 22 June 1974, the factory experienced some difficulties which led Louis to sell Balsan to Bidermann Textile Group in May 1975.

[citation needed] In January 2001, Associated Weavers International, a Belgian manufacturer of tufted and woven carpets and rugs, took over the activities of Balsan.

[5] At that time, the company employed over 200 people on its Arthon and Neuvy sites, having acquired them in 1999, and was producing 10 million square meters of carpet per year, with 45% of production being exported to 75 countries.