Industry Europe – Issue 29.1

Page 28

EURO-REPORT

FOCUS ON...

France Ian Sparks reports from Paris on a new public interest in toilets – and careers going down them.

IT

began as a simple blog by a young woman with an acute interest in lavatories. Aude Lalo would inspect public toilets wherever she went, then post her opinions online for her small but like-minded readership. But she soon began to attract the attention of bathroom and sanitary industry companies who were eager to receive positive reviews of their products on her web page. As the professional interest mounted, and her views on loos were being taken ever more seriously, she launched ‘Flush’ magazine, in which major French industry figures became increasingly keen to plug their wares and pay her hefty sums to advertise. Aude said: “If the blog initially began as a tongue-in-cheek hobby, I quickly began to realise there was a much more important side to the simple toilet. Other subjects like fishing or horse racing only matter to those who are interested, but toilets affect everyone on the planet. “The act of going to the lavatory is also a prism through which to address topics from health and sanitation to ecology, urbanism, and, for example, the social relations between different groups in Swiss railway stations, where women have to pay a third more than men to use equivalent public facilities.” Flush magazine, now a sleek quarterly which was launched in November to co-incide with World Toilet Day, describes itself as about ‘toilets, culture, and society’. Adverts for the magazine now crop up in public loos throughout France, with brief articles even pasted to the backs of cubicle doors informing users of interesting ‘toilet facts’ such as that it’s illegal to use your newspaper as toilet paper in Turkmenistan, or that the best toilet she ever visited was at a cake shop in the south-eastern city of Lyon. French media circles also took note and Aude was invited to TV and radio studios where she patiently explained her product to bemused-sounding hosts. 26 Industry Europe

Aude added: “As soon Flush was launched, I began receiving letters from people saying, this is great, I’m a toilet enthusiast, this is the magazine I’ve always been waiting for. We’re undeniably in a niche and I don’t know of any other magazine, at least in France, on this topic. On the other hand, toilets are universal.” A typical issue of Flush consists of four sections, which, together, offer readers a broad, 360-degree view of the world according to toilets. The first section rounds up toilet news from around the world; the second features industry trends and products (anyone for

The act of going to the lavatory is also a prism through which to address topics from health and sanitation to ecology [and] urbanism. a $45 matte-black toilet brush?). A ‘dossier’ in the third section focuses principally on a big social or political theme, like sanitary conditions in refugee camps or prisons. The fourth section is dedicated to culture, with celebrities interviewed about their loos or famous toilet scenes from films. The first issue included a feature on World Water Week, an annual event in Stockholm, Sweden, and another on innovations in the the human waste disposal and water-cleaning industry. Aude said: “I think the people who bought Flush at the newsstand bought it because they wanted to be surprised. And they were, because I feel I have raised the tone of something which is so often the butt of vulgar jokes to something crucial to people’s daily lives. “I’d love to launch international editions like Flush US and Flush UK, but we would need local editorial staff because you can’t just translate content. The relationship with

the toilet is very cultural and it changes from one country to another.”

Flushed away Elsewhere in France, Carlos Ghosn’s two decades at the helm of French car giant Renault are expected to come to an end in the coming weeks after he was arrested in Japan in November on suspicion of spending almost €16 million on luxury property using money from Japanese car-maker Nissan, where he is also chairman. While Ghosn still languishes in custody in Tokyo, Renault is expected to choose two big-hitters from the French car industry, Thierry Bollore and Jean-Dominique Senard, to take over the CEO and chairman jobs, according to a source who spoke to FRance’s AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. Bollore, 55, has already been running the company on an interim basis since Ghosn’s stunning arrest, and is expected to be named CEO. Like Ghosn, he began his career at French tyre giant Michelin and has been described as “very rigorous and dedicated, and much-liked by the entire workforce.” One industry insider, who worked alongside Bollore at French parts maker Faurecia, said: “I think that his knowledge of Asia and his skills in relationships with the Japanese will give him an advantage.” Senard, who is set to be named as the new chairman, arrives at Renault fresh from his role as CEO of Michelin, where he has worked since 2005. He is known for his successfully negotiated sensitive labour agreements with trade union leaders in Michelin’s French factories to preserve jobs in the face of cheaper imported Asian products. He was also the first non-family member to head the historic company that spawned the Michelin food guide. A former colleague at Michelin said: “What has happened to Ghosn is a spectacular tragedy, but Mr Senard and Mr Bollore are both n more than qualified to replace him.”


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

uniquely sustainable botanic-fibre solutions

4min
pages 168-171

Global leader in hygienic disposables Ontex

4min
pages 164-167

Driving nonwoven functionality forward

5min
pages 160-163

Close-up on fashion Lloyd Shoes

4min
pages 156-159

Yielding more Atotech

4min
pages 152-155

Accessing the future EVVA

5min
pages 141-143

Down-to-earth solutions Alcomet

6min
pages 136-140

Centred on peripheral solutions LNS Group

5min
pages 144-147

Positive progress in anti-infectives

4min
pages 148-151

on track for growth Greenbrier-Astra Rail

6min
pages 130-135

The age of the dragon Newag

8min
pages 125-129

optimising global growth potential Enics Group

4min
pages 122-124

expertise on tap Paini

4min
pages 119-121

Smarter sound solutions GN ReSound

5min
pages 112-115

The coolest beverage technology on the market

4min
pages 116-118

Revolutionising modern appliances Sabaf

4min
pages 108-111

Warming up to cold energy Angelantoni

5min
pages 105-107

optimising liquid assets Golar LNG

4min
pages 102-104

Industry innovator Vexve Oy

4min
pages 98-101

uninterrupted success Riello Group

4min
pages 94-97

First for high-performance flooring Junckers

4min
pages 80-83

Transforming electrical system solutions

4min
pages 84-87

Harnessing new hydro-turbine technology Rainpower

4min
pages 91-93

Superior tube solutions Sonoco Alcore

4min
pages 88-90

Durability at every step Amtico

4min
pages 78-79

Groundswell in eco-innovation Tarkett

4min
pages 75-77

Delivering new anti-corrosion solutions

4min
pages 72-74

Winds of change INA

7min
pages 68-71

Adding purity to performance Nuova Solmine

5min
pages 65-67

3D patient-specific care Materialise

4min
pages 53-55

Super-sealed solutions ALT Technologies

4min
pages 50-52

Ahead of the curve Scania

4min
pages 56-60

Pioneering smarter, cleaner full-efficiency Valtra

4min
pages 61-64

AGCo rewards its key partners AGCO

6min
pages 46-49

Compounding ceramic success SITI B&T Group

5min
pages 43-45

Driving into the future Liebherr

4min
pages 40-42

multi-axis performers Fidia

4min
pages 29-31

Delivering ‘future-proof’ logistics Vanderlande

4min
pages 36-39

experts in industrial automation and robotics AIUT

4min
pages 32-35

Focus on France Ian Sparks reports from Paris

4min
page 28

Change from within RKW Group

5min
page 26

Technology spotlight Advances in technology

3min
page 25

linking up Combining strengths

7min
pages 22-23

moving on Relocations and expansions across Europe

3min
page 24

Transport & logistics news The latest from the industry

7min
pages 18-19

Construction & engineering news The latest from

7min
pages 14-15

Automated logistics: A new reality How automation is

4min
pages 16-17

Formation flying

8min
pages 8-9

european construction: Continued growth – but

7min
pages 12-13

Winning business New orders and contracts

7min
pages 20-21
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.