The city Thiers: French kingdom of cutlery
The city Thiers and the Tarrerias-Bonjean Family
Tarrerias and Bonjean are two family names which became synonymous with the artisanal and industrial history and renown of the city Thiers. The Parish archives of the city confirm that in 1648 a cutler by the name of Tarrerias already exercised his talents in the field of cutlery. This reveals the early influence cutlery had on the Tarrerias-Bonjean family roots, also known by the initials TB.
Alexis Tarrerias and his wife Marie Bonjean’s initiative brought this trademark into being in 1962, the fruit of generations of ancestral knowledge that had been kept intact for centuries.
A family-owned SME
The story of TB Groupe is that of a family-owned SME* of impassioned individuals who have transmitted the secrets of fabricating exceptional knives throughout the ages.
Since the advent of modern Europe under the rule of Louis XIV, Thiers has been considered the cradle of French cutlery. Since time immemorial these creators and manufacturers of Thiers applied their ingenuity to the creation of extremely high quality products which bear the mark of the most skilled craftsmen who strove for constant innovation.
TB Groupe’s rich history paired with its present technically sophisticated knife manufacturing processes are what continue to make this Thiernoise trademark the leader of the French cutlery market.
* SME: Small and Medium-sized Enterprise
Knife manufacturer TB Groupe’s historical knowledge
The beginnings of the Tarrerias-Bonjean company
When the enterprise created by Alexis Tarrerias and Marie Bonjean was founded in the early 1960s it was already collaborating with numerous firms which led to the eventual establishment of its own trademark in the 1980s. Since 1985, the branch ATC has been in charge of product marketing. Today this marketing structure is an integral component of the enterprise.
In 1999, another firm specializing in cutting steel and the thermal treatment of blades was created. TB Groupe expanded rapidly, in order to offer its clients the highest quality products the Générale De Découpage trademark was created to have more control over the production process.
Still situated in Thiers, the enterprise TB Groupe controls the entire manufacturing process used to produce its knives. Teams of dynamic and impassioned designers, cutlery experts, R&D and quality control departments are the keys to this company’s success.
TB Groupe imbues man’s oldest tool with love by creating innovative, practical and aesthetically pleasing products daily.
TB Groupe today
Today TB Groupe is the leader of the French cutlery market. But not only that, Tarrerias-Bonjean is prepared to tackle new challenges with the desire to create objects that will be passed down from generation to generation.
Thus the enterprise set itself the following objectives:
- Identify consumer needs
- Supply innovative solutions, like the new knife created with EVERCUT® technology (the blade that withstands the test of time)
- Research and development on the design and aesthetic qualities of its products
- The design and fabrication of knives which blend functionality and performance