Chapuis-Comoy
From Pipes, Artisans and Trademarks, by Jose Manuel Lopés'
Chapuis-Comoy is a factory in Saint-Claude, France.
It began with Francois Comoy who, in 1825, was making pipes in boxwood and other types, as well as clay pipes, for the armies of Napoleon. In 1856, the Comoy factory was the first to produce briar bowls at Saint-Claude. In 1870, Francois's grandson, Henri Comoy (1850-1924) was taken prisoner in Switzerland whilst serving in the French army during the Franco-Prussian war, where he found his cousins, the Chapuis. This meeting produced the idea of an association, which only became a reality in 1922, with the creation of Chapuis-Comoy. After Henri's death, his sons Paul and Adrien, took over the company with the support of their cousins, Emile and Louis Chapuis Sr., and in 1928 they created the Chacom brand.
In 1932, due to the economic crisis at Saint-Claude, the factory merged with La Bruyère, adopting that name, and becoming one of the biggest pipe companies in the world, with 450 workers. Louis Chapuis Jr., joined the company in 1938 and Pierre Comoy in 1947. The name Chapuis-Comoy returned in 1957 (125 workers), due to the success of the Chacom brand in France. In 1971, the London factory (see Comoy's) became independent, and Yves Grenard, second cousin to Pierre, took over Saint-Claude, and is still running it. Between 1987 and 2001, the factory, which employed over 40 people, joined the Cuty-Fort Enterprises SA holding and, in 1994, included the Ropp brand in its catalog.
Brands
Contact Information
Chapuis-Comoy & Cie Sarl 4 Rue des Etapes, B.P. 82 39203 Saint-Claude Cedex France Phone: +33 (0)3 84 45 00 00 Fax: +33 (0)3 84 45 20 34 E-mail: chacom@free.fr Website: Chacom Direction: Antoine Grenard commercial service, SAV: Sophie Pierolo Administration, accounting Delphine Bonavero Production: Yves Perrad