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DRAFT: Ronot Society
// I was working on a grammar update for this article but ended up busy.

Ronot society is a French enterprise of foundry founded in 1905 by Ernest Ronot when he was 26 years old. It was first named Société de Chaudronnerie et de Construction Mécaniques de Saint-Dizier (Boilermaking and Metallic Manufacturing Society) and became legally Société Ernest Ronot in 1918. The society finally took on the legal name of Ronot from 1938, keeping it until 2014. It developed the field of foundry, more particularly in industrial and agricultural boiler-making, and expanded its scope of activity over the years. The society was placed into a judicial review in 2008, prior to the foundry closing its doors in 2014 after judicial liquidation, leaving 41 workers unemployed.

Ernest Ronot was a French entrepreneur, born in 1879 in Chaumont, and died in 1943. During Operation Exodus (WWII operation), Ernest Ronot fled from the German invasion of the region and settled in his Villa in Nice in 1939. The factory was requisitioned by the Germans, and Ernest Ronot refused to return to Saint-Dizier, not wanting to collaborate. Thus, he managed his company from Nice, with the help of his cousin Paul Ronot.

Development of the Ronot Society
Ernest Ronot opened a foundry in 1905 that was entitled Société de chaudronnerie et de constructions mécaniques de Saint-Dizier, which became the Ernest Ronot Society in 1918, to be shortened to Ronot in 1938. From 1910 to 1923, he built a modern factory that he expanded to reach 20,000 square meters. In 1926, Ernest Ronot ordered the construction of a workers’ housing estate that would be served by a railway line.

The company started declining in the 1960s, along with the other French industrial enterprises of that time. In December 1984, Ronot went through a court settlement which demonstrated the turmoil that the company faced. In 1986, Ronot Society was bought by the company Bieber Industry, another boiler-making company established in Alsace. Bieber Industry became the principal shareholder of Ronot and continues its diversification of activities. In mid-2006, Ronot acquired the society Samas de Vesoul, based in Haute-Saône and specializing in the commercialization of farm dumpsters, trailers, and flatbeds. In 2007, Ronot made the acquisition of another company manufacturing farm dumpsters in the French department of the Ardennes, Brimontsociety. Although this society is finally bought by the society Arden Verins in 2009. its acquisition marks the Europeanization of Ronot with the creation of its Polish branch.

The size of the company
In 1921, Ernest Ronot buys lots, borrowing from local enterprises, in order to expand the size of the boiler maker fabric. In 1931, 300 people were working in the factory. The society of Ernest Ronot does not only expand in size and number of employees but also in terms of material assets. Ronot notably invests in a fleet of one hundred and fifty machines to cut, fold, bend, stamp, drill, or weld steel. The jewel of this fleet is built in 1931 by Delattre and Frouard. A unique stamping press with a power of 2000 tons is established in the factory and will remain operative until 2014. In 2007, the factory of Ronot has a surface area of 25. 000 m2 for 80 workers and employees for 78 in 2006.

Chief executive officers and directors
The first CEO of Ronot Society was Ernest Ronot who died in 1943. His friend Émile Barthélémy succeeded him from 1943 to his death in 1961. Ernest's grandson, Hubert Varin, took his position from 1961 until his accidental death in 1985 where his wife Marie-Louise Varin became CEO. In 1986, the society was bought by Bieber Industry and its president Raymond Bieber became Ronot Society’s CEO. Marie-Louise Varin remained Director-General until she retired in 2002. José de Sousa was named by Bieber Industry to become the next Director-General, until the judicial liquidation of the company.

Catalogs and products
From the beginning, the society of Ernest Ronot affirms “Nous ne livrons que l’irréprochable” (We only deliver the irreproachable). The catalog of the company diversifies its offer throughout the years. Their flagship products are the pump “Niagara”, the barrel “Idéal”, or the washing machine “Ève” that are especially known to be durable and reliable. The catalog also proposes trays, cookers, drinking troughs for farm animals, laundry boilers, or geared pumps. In 2006, Ronot starts the commercialization of products made of aluminum which expand even more its product line.

Communication and advertising
Very early in the life of his company, Ernest Ronot engages the work of famous publicists, such as Georges Ripart, Racham, C. Thévenin, or Jan. He creates modern advertising campaigns in which he disparages the products of his competitors or in which he displays beautiful horses pulling his best products. Ronot develops a strong communication pole which illustrates the life of the peasants surrounded by innovative products such as his steel barrels for the men and washing machines for the women. Ronot participates early in the Agricultural Fair of Paris (Salon de la International de l'Agriculture). In 1950 and several years after, Ronot is one of the pilar of the Fair of Agricultural Machines (Salon de la Machine Agricole).

The end of a long journey (2014)
The society of Ernest Ronot stops its activity in 2014, going through a judicial liquidation that follows several judicial reviews. The park of 150 machines is auctioned. Some machines are bought by surrounding companies, others are saved by the associations concerned with the survival of such industrial heritage. The association ASPM (Association pour la Sauvegarde et la Promotion du Patrimoine Métallurgique haut-marnais) raised funds to save the press, dismantle, move, and reassemble it to the conservatory of machines in Dommartin-le-Franc.