The smells of sawdust, lacquer and varnish abound in Saint-Barth Menuiserie’s workshops. In this company headed by Nicolas Harmange, eight employees work hand in hand. This wood enthusiast has been at the head of “SBM”, as insiders have been calling it, for sixteen years now. Originally from metropolitan France, Nicolas moved to the island in 1993. He joined Michel Geoffrin and Jacques Geiss’ team, the two partners who had set off on this adventure six years earlier. “At the time, there was very little woodwork on the island.” They could meet the demand of booming tourism back then. But Saint-Barth Menuiserie has always strived to work for locals as well as for luxury clients. These contrasting demands require some adaptability, a skill Nicolas acquired while training for this profession. In metropolitan France, he got a diploma in industrial furniture manufacturing, an apprenticeship which consisted in adapting high-end furniture into industrial furniture.
After Mr. Geiss’s departure in 1996, Nicolas became Michel Geoffrin’s sole partner. This collaboration between the two men lasted until 2005, when the loss of his mentor suddenly propelled Nicolas into managing the company. “For the people, Saint-Barth Menuiserie was Mr. Geoffrin. He was known on the island for the quality of his work as well as for his political involvement. I found myself at the helm on my own to manage both roles, and had to prove myself as the manager for the company to become what it is today,” a well-known, recognized establishment in this field.
Nicolas pays special attention to getting along with his team, an essential prerequisite for the proper functioning of the business. Eight men fulfill the company’s various activities: making, installing, varnishing. Among the thirty or so joineries on the island today, Saint-Barth Menuiserie is one of the largest infrastructures, with ambition for development essential to adapting to changing market conditions. “The clients are more and more demanding, both locals and high-end clientele. To offer a service that meets their expectations, the design office has been developed: we make proposals in 3D and in perspective so that the clients can better visualize their projects. We have also invested in new machines to improve the quality of our furniture and joinery.” Recently, Saint-Barth Menuiserie has offered a varnishing and lacquer service on old furniture, a service available even to pieces not manufactured in the workshop. Nicolas has also taken to social media to keep his business up to date, as Saint-Barth Menuiserie has its own Instagram profile, a way to highlight the company’s productions while reaching new clients.
With Saint-Barth Menuiserie, customer satisfaction comes first. Doors, shutters, walk-in closets, even stairs, the company tries to meet customer demand as well as possible. “My favorite thing is meeting them to shape their desires, in order to realize the work they dream of.” This passion for creating goes through the mastery of a single element: wood. Nicolas discovered his vocation at a very young age with his grandfather who worked in this field. “I have always loved wood because it is a noble, lively material. ”
This is a passionate and demanding profession to shape this exceptional material.
