Swiss Made remains a quality guarantee that is recognised throughout the world. This recognition contributes to the fact that we can continue to produce in Switzerland, despite much higher production costs than elsewhere.
Carole Hubscher is the fourth generation of the family at the head of Caran d'Ache, a Geneva-based manufacturer of coloured pencils and stationery. She attributes her success to the values of her company.
Caran d'Ache accompanies Swiss people throughout their lives (i.e. we use your products throughout our lives). To what do you attribute this loyalty relationship?
Since our creation in 1915, we have been faithful to our values as a Swiss family business, of which social responsibility and the quest for excellence are an integral part. The quality of our products as well as our commitment to being a responsible company undeniably contribute to the loyalty of our customers. We also have a wide portfolio offering products for all generations: from Prismalo or Fancolor coloured pencils for children, to the Luminance Fine Art range or Museum Aquarelle for the creation of works of art by professional artists, to an Ecridor pen for signing your first employment or marriage contract. We accompany our consumers for a lifetime and this creates a strong and often very emotional bond.
What does Swiss Made mean today?
We develop and manufacture all our products in accordance with the requirements of the "Swiss Made" quality label. Swiss Made is more than just a label - it is a promise and a commitment. The promise of a requirement applied to all manufacturing processes. A commitment that also aims at excellence in the creation of each and every Caran d'Ache drawing and writing instrument; all designed, developed and manufactured in the workshops in Geneva, Switzerland. Behind each drawing and writing instrument produced in the Caran d'Ache factory are passionate craftsmen, depositories of unique, century-old know-how. More than 90 crafts are united under one roof.
And in the future?
This trust in "Swiss Made" must be preserved, nurtured and remain a key value of our country.
Does this apply to all markets around the world?
Swiss Made" is still a globally recognised guarantee of quality. This recognition contributes to the fact that we can continue to produce in Switzerland, despite much higher production costs than elsewhere.
What motivates you to do your best every day?
We don't aim to be the biggest, but the best in our category. What pushes us to do better is the conviction that we contribute to accompany everyone in the free and authentic expression of their creativity and to know that we and our products are complicit in moments of shared emotion, fulfilment and happiness.
How do you motivate your employees?
I often remind our employees that, at Caran d'Ache, we create happiness for all generations. People are more than ever in search of meaning, both in their private and professional lives, and I think that this mission feeds their motivation on a daily basis. Added to this is our social and environmental responsibility, which translates into concrete actions and of which our employees are proud. I am thinking, for example, of our many partnerships with associations and institutions such as the EPI, the ICRC, the UNHCR and Paint a Smile; and also of our collaboration with young talents in the artistic and cultural fields. To see that our products allow us to produce works of such great finesse as those of the American artist CJ Hendry, or the Italian Diego Koi is also a source of motivation.
What does quality mean to you?
At Caran d'Ache, quality means everything from sourcing to production to marketing. Just as in the kitchen, the choice of raw materials or 'ingredients' is of paramount importance. This is partly guaranteed by a strict selection of our suppliers carried out in accordance with our supplier charter. It is also ensured by the numerous quality controls carried out during the various stages necessary for the manufacture of our products. Quality is also expressed in the service we offer to our consumers and in the fact that our products are durable, rechargeable and repairable.