How did you start out ?

After training as a park technician and also as a sales technician for horticultural products, I started working for Etablissement Offredi, a wholesaler in horticultural products (fertilizers, compost, plant holders, containers, etc.) in the Paris region when I was 20 years old. In the beginning, we supplied seed merchants, who have now been replaced by garden centres. The sales of compost and fertilizer boomed. I stayed there from 1977 to 1985, before moving to Saint-Malo to set up a decoration business with my brother (old stones and materials) which lasted two years. I then worked in the wood and charcoal trade in the Othe (10) forest for a year. Then I came to Rungis in 1989, working for an Offredi store (OPF Déco Jardin) where I was in charge of developing the container sector (lines and collections). I have only worked with containers since then. I used to travel the world, from Italy and Tuscany to Spain, or Vietnam and Mexico, etc. to find the most beautiful pottery which has become a passion since that time. In the meantime, I used to visit professionals (landscape designers and decorators) to find out their needs and I built up good contacts and relationships with them.

When did you set up your own business ?

In 2003, I wanted to set up my own business because I felt that I wasn’t appreciated where I was and I wanted to take up a challenge. I really started in 2004, in a 150 m2 store that I called the Le Jardin de Mado, named after my small 15 year old dog who was very affectionate and who became the company’s mascot.  I started with no advertising, just by opening the doors on 1st March 2004. I had already built up a major network of suppliers and customers. In fact, everyone who was with me in the beginning is still there. My idea was to return to the wholesaler’s real business. At first, I proposed terra cotta and wooden plant holders.  

How did you develop ?

I expanded my range of pottery and containers and I also developed special plants like topiary (laurus nobilis, buxus sempervirens) and bamboos. To the terra cotta pottery, we added enamelled pottery and the first holders in resin (CCV). At the same time, we increased our floor space to 300 m2, then to 550 m2, and finally to 750 m2 indoors and 350 m2 outdoors today.

Our turnover also rose over the years with the help of my staff, namely Denis, an excellent professional who has been with me from the start, and Tony, our most recent recruit who is very efficient. Today, the containers represent 80% of the turnover and total 2 600 listed products, with 1 600 in stock. The terra cotta, mainly from Tuscany but also from other places, is a bestseller and accounts for 25% of my turnover. The fibreglass containers (CCV) are also bestsellers. Our line groups all types and formats of containers (from traditional hand-crafted to contemporary containers) in all existing materials and colours.

Do you have a development strategy ?

My strategy is simple; it is to keep listening to my clients and to continue satisfying them, while adapting to the ranges and trends. However, the business has reached cruising speed now and I don’t want to develop it further. 

How is the decoration market developing ?

The container sector follows the logical evolution of fashion and hence of society.  That’s how creative genius works. It evolves by relying on the eternal fundamentals, the frame of reference of the profession, on which the market and my set-up are based. The current trend is for very streamlined, modern shapes, and distinctive colours.