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1889 : |
Founding of the business at Laval
by René Le Godais, a builder of horse-drawn
carts. His son, René, succeeded him.
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1933 : |
The company was taken over by
Marius Gruau, his son-in-law. The business
became "Carrosserie Gruau", the
coachbuilders.
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1955 : |
The craftsman became an industrial
manufacturer on obtaining an order for 250
coaches for the air force. René Gruau,
the son of Marius, set up the design department
necessary for carrying out this large order.
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1977 : |
René Gruau, Marius' son,
took up the reins of the company.
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1985 : |
At the age of 28, Patrick Gruau
arrived at the head of the company, representing
the 5th generation. He immediately instituted
management based on Total Quality.
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1995 : |
Gruau Laval won the Prix Français
de la Qualité and became the first
European bodywork constructor to be ISO
9001 certified.
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1995 : |
External growth of the Group with
the arrival of ISBERG and PICOT.
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1996-2000 :
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Specialisation of production sites,
new industrial organisation and investments
in new products: 95% of the range renewed.
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2001 : |
First steps beyond the borders
with the creation of GRUAU POLSKA and that
of an Ambulance Sector, the N°2 in France,
with the collaboration of 3 companies: PICOT,
PETIT, SANICAR.
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2002 : |
- As part of its strategic plan
and logic of multi-specialisation, the group
strengthened its "Goods Transport"
sector by incorporating LABBE's industrial
bodywork department: Birth of LABBE Large
Volume Vans.
- GRUAU LAVAL became the
first European coachbuilder to be AFAQ ISO
9001 certified according to the new 2000
standard.
- Continuing its international
outreach, the group opened a second site
abroad: GRUAU BENELUX (Brussels) |
