User:Urbansea/theault

THEAULT HORSEBOXES
[http://www.theault.com)

Established by Emile THEAULT in 1924 on the edge of the Normandy town Avranches THEAULT's roots were in the production of all types of horsedrawn and commercial motor vehicles.

As the company grew it began to specialise in livestock transporters, meeting the demand of Normandy's many livestock farmers. In the 1950's Theault began to concentrate on the equestrian market producing horse transporters, today the company's main product.

As a company THEAULT have always been innovative producing the first 5-horse transporter to carry horses in herringbone/oblique orientation in 1957. In 1961 they launched the first ever low-loading 2-stall horsebox to carry horses in rear-facing orientation, a concept so successful that numerous other manufacturers have tried to copy.

Theault remained a family company until the late 1990's when it changed hands coming under the chairmanship of successful local businessman André Breux. Breux, a breeder of trotting horses, was keen to continue the established traditions for innovation and quality and expand the company's international business. In 1998 the company launched their first horsebox constructed in aluminium. In 1999 they developed the sliding partition eradicating the 2-person heaving of heavy partitions that most horse owners will remember well.

The company entered the millenium with a special edition 2-stall model in their 3.5 ton range. The intention was to produce a strong, lightweight, compact horsebox that provided greater luxury than any other available. The result was stunning with hand-crafted leather upholstery, day and night living and high specification fittings. The success of this model lead to Theault launching a 2-year research and development project aimed at producing the lightest possible horsebox at 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight without compromise to strength or safety. The result was the launch of the Morpheo horsebox in 2005.

The Theault Morpheo horsebox featured an unusual curved luton designed to disperse water and a construction using the latest aluminium-based materials. Morpheo has become a favourite with private horse owners and competition riders alike with the same high specification fittings available as for Theault's Millenium model. A year later Theault launched the Proteo horsebox, a replacement for the companys existing Confort and Prestige models again constructed from lightweight materials and introducing aircraft polyester into the vehicle construction. Proteo was designed as a standard model to meet the needs of professional trainers and transporters.

The retirement of André Breux brought with it a change of Chairman to Jacques MORIN, a breeder of show jumping horses. Morin's background was in vehicle construction and he was for many years export director of Chereau, market leaders in the refrigerated vehicle sector.

Theault remained in their original factory in Avenue de la Gare on the approach to Avranches town centre until 2008. A second, more modern factory was constructed in the early 2000's and opened in 2004 producing Theault's range of 2-stall horseboxes, mainstay of their business, in a car-like production line. In 2007/2008 the new factory was almost doubled in size to provide the most modern horsebox manufacturing facility in Europe.

Theault produce horseboxes from 2 to 11 stall with or without living accommodation. By 2008 they were employing nearly 100 personnel producing 350 vehicles per year and had distributors in 20 countries of the world.