Since its creation in 1986, Le Parapluie de Cherbourg has worked tirelessly to promote the quality of French manufacturing. Le Parapluie de Cherbourg is deeply attached to the town of Cherbourg, and to the expertise of the manufacturers who create sumptuous umbrellas here every day, and it was only natural that the company should be awarded the EPV label, "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant" (Living Heritage Company). This label has been awarded by the French government since 2005 to French companies that use excellent industrial or artisanal know-how and preserve traditional manufacturing techniques. Why and how do you obtain the EPV label? What does obtaining this label mean for a company like ours? Read all about our approach in this article.

The EPV label: presentation

The EPV label was introduced by the French government in 2005, to highlight companies that use excellent craftsmanship and industrial know-how, based on traditional manufacturing methods. Since 2005, the aim has been to encourage and reward the preservation of France's industrial and craft heritage, while encouraging the development of innovations that prolong the excellence of these skills. Obviously, all these notions have a particular resonance for a company like La Manufacture Le Parapluie de Cherbourg: stemming from a long family tradition of leather manufacture, ardently defending the know-how and quality of Made in France umbrella manufacture, and constantly innovating to design ever more durable and high-performance products, this label seemed made for us! 

But how to obtain the EPV label? The story was just beginning...

Specifications

INMA explains how to obtain the EPV label on its website: on the one hand, there are the conditions of eligibility for the application process, and on the other, the eligibility criteria.

• Conditions of eligibility

The label rewards companies as a whole, which is unique in France. Only companies registered in the trade register (répertoire des métiers) and/or the trade and company register (registre du commerce et des sociétés) are eligible to apply; any company meeting these conditions and engaged in production, processing, repair or catering is eligible to apply. Applications are then examined in the light of the eligibility criteria.

• Eligibility criteria

Since 2020, eligibility criteria for the EPV label have been divided into three main categories: 

-a specific economic heritage drawn from a manufacturing past;

the application of complex or rare know-how through the mastery of cutting-edge and/or traditional techniques;

-attachment to a region and a reputation in France and/or abroad.

→ Heritage, know-how, innovation, territory: it's the very DNA of La Maison that lies at the heart of the criteria for awarding the label. All that remained was to find out how to obtain this EPV label...

The application

Application for the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label is made online, via the INMA website. It involves filling in a very detailed questionnaire, covering the company's know-how, economic heritage and reputation (local, national and international). This approach is all the more enriching and structuring as it enables us to take full measure of the actions taken on a day-to-day basis to ensure the survival and prosperity of know-how and manufacturing excellence in France.

Recognition, but also, and above all, levers to carry our ambition further

Once you know how to obtain the EPV label, it's time to consider why it's important.

For our company, this label is not just recognition - although that's already a lot. It is also a set of advantages and promotional actions, particularly on the international stage, which contribute to the development and influence of our brand in France and around the world. That's why we're so proud and honored to have been awarded this label.