Our roots
Originally a man...
The history of Forge Adour began 45 years ago, with one man, the founder, Manuel MERIN. He is an ironworker, in love with the material, but also with the good life of the southwest where he lives and Spain where his family roots live. It was in Bayonne that he put his know-how into practice, initially dedicating it to the production of fireplaces and accessories for fireplaces. He soon promoted Forge Adour to diversify its activities around cooking appliances, starting with barbecues. But it was the plancha, a product unknown in France at the time, that soon became the flagship of Forge Adour. Today, the story continues with an ever-increasing range of products and especially the creation of outdoor kitchens.
True to its values, Forge Adour has been committed from the outset to offering its customers durable, quality products. To this end, it has developed a design and innovation laboratory, integrating all stages of the production chain. It is this approach that enables us to design new burner systems, and develop products that combine design and ease of use.
For 45 years, this culture of quality, design and innovation has continued to guide the Forge Adour teams, headed by Emmanuel MERIN, son of the founder.
Established in Bayonne and Spain, and distributed in France and internationally, Forge Adour is now Europe's leading manufacturer of planchas, with over 200,000 products shipped every year. We continue this adventure by imagining new products every day, for moments of sharing and pleasure...
Manuel Merin, a craftsman in forging, founded the company Forge Adour, which focuses on the production of fireplaces and accessories for fireplaces.
The brand diversifies its activities by launching into a thriving segment: barbecue. Appliances, bricks and stone frame kits, the brand quickly established itself in this market.
Forge Adour developed the first French plancha that quickly became a staple in the Basque Country, especially with sports clubs that never stopped ordering it for their annual festivals.
It was in Bayonne that Forge Adour opened its first store. The brand offers barbecues, planchas and the sale and installation of fireplaces. It is at this same address that the brand still has its headquarters today.
Forge Adour develops its presence at fairs and exhibitions in the south-west and then gradually throughout France. The opening of a second store in Saint-Paul-lès-Dax marks the opening of the Landes market.
It is in Villafranca de los Barros, Spain, the birthplace of the founder and the birthplace of the plancha, that Forge Adour sets up its production facility. A state-of-the-art factory that meets the quality requirements of the brand.
The brand opened two additional stores in the Pyrénées-Atlantique (in Lescar and Mont-de-Marsan) allowing the brand to develop in Béarn and Landes.
To offer its customers a complete service, Forge Adour develops its own chimney and stove maintenance and chimney sweeping service.
The regional success of the brand reinforces national ambitions. Forge Adour launches a distribution company so that its products are now available throughout France through the circuit of specialist stores, garden centres and DIY stores.
Manuel Merin handed over the management of Forge Adour to his son, Emmanuel Merin, who relied on the know-how and historical quality of the brand to diversify its activities and product ranges.
In a highly conventional market, the brand is re-designing its entire range of planchas to offer eco-designed products. This new range with its modern design and clean lines was an immediate success with consumers.
The eco-design approach of Forge Adour has been awarded the eco-design trophy. An award that reinforces the brand’s sustainable commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its products and its fight against climate change.
Forge Adour gets a new dimension with the integration of the SEB group, a leading brand in small household appliances. A new phase in its growth that enables the brand to realise new national and international development ambitions.
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