French knitted garments manufacturer, Bonneterie Chanteclair, is a certified Orgine France Garantie, meaning all of its products are made in France. When the COVID-19 pandemic reached France, General Manager, Thomas Delise, knew he had to think outside of the box in order to protect his community and his employees.

Rather than stopping garment production and furloughing employees, the company developed a high-quality mask with a HEPA filter, which was chosen by French President Emmanuel Macron. As Chanteclair began to receive many orders from regional administrations, they developed an eCommerce website to sell B2B and B2C.

To help keep up with demand, Bonneterie Chanteclair began working with Gerber Technology, a leader in digitalization, to help them pivot their supply chain and remain agile so they could keep their doors open. Since March, Gerber’s PPE Task Force has helped over 1,700 companies, just like Chanteclair, pivot to PPE production and helped them keep their doors open through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gerber has been extremely supportive throughout this entire process. Their innovative technology and team of experts have been critical throughout our transformation.

“We know digitalization and retooling are not easy. They’re very complex processes that require numerous steps,” said Olivier Austin, Sales Manager Digital Solutions for France, at Gerber Technology. “Our team works with our customers to identify their needs and help implement the right technologies that will be most beneficial to them.”

Gerber worked with Bonneterie Chanteclair to digitally transform their supply chain, so they were able to keep up with the high demand for protective masks. Chanteclair acquired Gerber’s full end-to-end solution, which includes Gerber’s pattern making solution, AccuMark, their automated nesting and cut planning solutions, AccuNest and AccuPlan as well as the Gerber Paragon. With Gerber’s end-to-end solution, Chanteclair was able to meet the high demand for masks in a short period of time, which was critical in helping their community fight COVID-19. The integrated solution also kept Chanteclair from having to furlough employees and keep their doors open as they navigate through the pandemic.

“Gerber has been extremely supportive throughout this entire process,” said Thomas Delise. “Their innovative technology and team of experts have been critical throughout our transformation. We have been able to effectively digitize our entire workflow in such a short time, which is really remarkable.”

After the pandemic subsides, Bonneterie Chanteclair plans to continue to strengthen its supply chain by adding more of Gerber’s solutions to its workflow. The French manufacturer will develop a just-in-time production to allow themselves to easily meet consumer demands and tackle the challenge of customization.

The Chanteclair hosiery is a human-size family company that designs, makes and sells knitwear products. Chanteclair is a French knitwear clothing manufacturer aimed at designers, distributors, labels and licensors. The company was founded in 1973 by Jean-Pierre Chanteclair and his wife Yannick, and years later their daughter Celine joined them. The company rapidly conquered numerous clients within the fashion industry who liked their knowledge and professionalism. It benefits from a great location in a region known for textiles and also manages on the same spot ‘tricotage, teinture et decoration’ which is aimed at local partners. The company is certified Origine France Garantie which means all products are made in France.

Bonneterie Chanteclair Website

Gerber Technology Website