Hello Olivier,
You are the son and nephew of the founders and now the manager of the Sulpie company.
When was the Sulpie brand born and how?
The Sulpie brand was born in the late 1950s. The Sulpies have always been excellent cabinetmakers and carpenters. A fairground worker who lived near my grandfather's workshops brought back a table football from one of his trips to Italy and went to see my grandfather to have it repaired. My father and my uncle then decided to start manufacturing table football. The adventure began!
Today, how many people work in the company?
Today, 9 people work at Sulpie.
What is your background?
I am an electronic engineer, I worked for 10 years in electronics then I realized that I was not passionate about my job, that I was not having fun. My father had retired, the Sulpie company had not been active for 10 years but we still had the machines. In 2000, I suggested to my father that we redo table football, to relaunch the family business and we started from almost 0.
What is your greatest professional satisfaction?
My greatest professional satisfaction is being able to take a lot of pleasure in working, to be passionate about what I do. It's a chance to be happy to go to work, to take pleasure in creating, to constantly innovate.
Where are Sulpie table football tables made?
Sulpie table football tables are still made in St Sulpice de Cognac, where my father started. At the beginning of 2018, we will be moving a few kilometers away; we are currently building a new 2000m2 factory.
Where do the materials used to make Sulpie table football tables come from?
Sulpie is the only table football manufacturer to have its entire range made of solid wood. Furthermore, we only use PEFC-certified woods that come from maintained and reforested forests. We no longer use chrome for the bars; these are now all stainless steel.
What are the special features of Sulpie table football tables?
Sulpie table football tables offer excellent value for money. They are solid table football tables that last over time and can be passed down from generation to generation! The motto of Sulpie table football could be Solidity, Reliability and Longevity.
Furthermore, Sulpie table football is completely customizable.
- Sulpie table football is therefore customizable. Can you really customize everything?
Everything is customizable, from the handrail to the mat, including the box, the feet, the players, there are no limits.
- What is the craziest request you have ever received?
We made a very original table football for a Swiss airline. All the players were personalized, there were flight attendants, stewards, a pilot, ground staff... and an airplane was engraved on the side.
I think this table football is the craziest one made to date.
- For some time now, Sulpie seems to be getting closer to a certain number of artists. Can you tell us a little more?
We have indeed created some foosball tables in collaboration with artists, notably Serge Van Khache and graffiti artists. The foosball table then becomes a work of art, a unique piece; the painting is created on the foosball table, which gives it inestimable value. We really like the idea of these collaborations, of creating these unique pieces; they are created as we meet people.
- What are Sulpie's plans?
Sulpie's major project is the construction of a new 2,000m² building. Production capacity will double, allowing us to export all over the world and reduce production times.
