From Martial Becquart to Auboi
Since buying his first wood-burning machine as a teenager, Martial Becquart has been unable to get out of his head the idea that woodworking was his choice of life. Very early on, he made a number of boxes, chests and chests of drawers with reclaimed wood, but nevertheless pursued studies and a career in industry.
In 1995 he decided to return to his passion.
After 20 years of work in industry, production management and technical direction, in the sector of spinning then cardboard, Martial Becquart opens his cabinetmaking, the Auboi company.
This workshop is located in Maulévrier Sainte Gertrude, in the Hameau de Sainte-Gertrude, a small valley near Caudebec-en-Caux, today Rives-en Seine, in Normandy.
Why AUBOI, we are often asked?
Several elements were to be taken into account when choosing the brand:
Wood for cabinetmaking,
A short name, easy to remember,
A name that begins with one of the first letters of the alphabet. In 1995, the Internet did not exist, and it was necessary to be in the first lines of the directory and the minitel when starting an activity,
Music lover, Martial also likes the resonance with the musical instrument.
At first, Martial Becquart responds to various requests and produces tables, kitchens, bathrooms, bookcases, beds, sideboards, dressing rooms, stairs, gates….
At the same time, he develops a distinct concept of furniture that allows him to stand out and offer different pieces of furniture, “Other Furniture”, those that do not yet exist, those that we have dreamed of.
What he loves is analyzing people’s needs, studying and designing ergonomic, functional and of course aesthetic furniture. It focuses on the evolution of old techniques to adapt them to our time. Martial Becquart is a precursor. Very early on, when computers had not yet entered our homes, he proposed furniture intended to integrate computers, central units, screens…. in sober, uncluttered furniture.
Little by little, Martial Becquart developed his line of furniture by combining two types of wood, oak and ash. The line is sober and elegant.
The workshop of Maulévrier Sainte Gertrude is too small to honor these requests.
In 2000, the cabinetmaking moved to a workshop in Yvetot.
But the “giants” of furniture arrive on the market, causing the notion of the real price of labor to be lost. Many cabinet shops are closing.
Alongside cabinetmaking, Martial developed another passion, painting.
Having little time to devote to his passion, he imagined a piece of furniture allowing him to bring together all his material at hand and his work in progress always ready.
In 2004, he produced the first prototype of a “workshop-furniture”, a piece of furniture that brought together work spaces and drawers to store all his painting equipment. This concept enthused his entourage and his painter friends encouraged him to offer the piece of furniture to a wider audience. We decide to try a “turn” by proposing this concept.
A first advertisement in Artiste magazine confirms the desire for this piece of furniture.
We decide to file the model with the INPI and the OHMI before going to numerous trade fairs to present this new concept.
The prototype of the Artist’s Studio Unit
Les demandes s’élargissent d’une part vers des meubles complémentaires de rangement, d’autre part vers des meubles destinés à d’autres activités.
La “commode à feuilles” et le meuble atelier couture sont créés pour répondre à ces demandes.
The prototypes of the Sewing Workshop Cabinet and the Chest of Drawers
The furniture is produced in small series, again there is a problem of space and the need for an assembly workshop to be built in our garden arises.
For 14 years, cabinetmaking adapted to this operation in two workshops.
While there are more requests, the lack of space is not conducive to the development of our cabinetmaking. After a long period of reflection, in 2018, we are taking the plunge.
Then began the construction of a workshop bringing together the two, in a craft area, near Yvetot in Auzebosc.
In 2019, we are moving workshop and office to settle at 160 rue de la Chapelle in Auzebosc.
