Nicolas Mille, head of the French company with over a century of expertise in the manufacture of safety footwear, announced new projects and developments.

Over a hundred years of history make Gaston Mille one of the leading manufacturers of safety footwear. Founded in 1912, the French company has survived two world wars and several economic crises thanks to the relentless and strong determination of the Mille family, now represented by Nicolas Mille, a member of the fourth generation. The factory and head office have been based in Courthézon, in the south of France, for over a century. Today it is equipped with robotic systems and the latest technology, always combined with a handcrafted approach that continues to be an important added value for this company. Over the years, the Gaston Mille’s R&D department has developed a variety of innovations that have not only expanded the safety aspects, but also improved the comfort of users, thanks to in-depth studies conducted to improve the fit of the footwear and breathability of the materials used. We talked to Nicolas Mille, current President of Mille Sas, about the current organizational structure and latest products ready to be launched on the market.

Gaston Mille has 100 years of experience in safety footwear manufacturing. An honour but also a great responsibility to those who are now at the helm of the company… “That’s right. It is a big responsibility for my employers and me, also because we are the last remaining French manufacturers able to produce injected and cemented safety footwear in France. And we feel it is our duty to promote the “Made In France” brand around the world. I also personally feel compelled to outdo my father Hugues, my grandfather Charles and great-grandfather Gaston. In short, I feel the pressure.”

How is your production organised? “We perform the injection process (with two Desma machines), lasting and part of the uppers in our Courthézon factory. The rest of the uppers is produced mainly in Tunisia and Morocco, but all the raw materials are purchased and checked by Gastone Mille. For us, it is important to keep total control of the quality. We also import finished shoes from India and China.”

What are your main industrial sectors? “Our business is mainly focused on the food (catering) industry, oil and gas sector, construction, industries, services (with overshoes for visitors, for example), welding and foundry industries.”

You are considered real specialists in anti-slip technologies. Why? “We have been working for more than 20 years to improve footwear grip in collaboration with the CTC laboratory, BASF polyurethane experts and also with our mould makers Overstampi to provide customers with the best possible soles: all our soles pass the SRC safety tests. As known, grip is very important in all sectors and particularly in the food industry where half of work-related accidents are caused by slipping on wet surfaces.”

What is your most recent technical achievement? “Our newest development is an injected overshoe called “Millenium Full Protect” that will offer our customers complete protection (thanks to a sole with a midsole resistant to penetration, grip and a 200J toe cap). It is a great challenge for my staff and me to be able to continue manufacturing an economical overshoe in three sizes in France. It would be easier for us to produce in China like some of my competitors.”

In general, safety footwear has reached a very good technical level. What is the next challenge to overcome? “The next challenge is to produce lighter shoes. On our part, we have already reduced the weight of our shoes by 20% with our new PU and are also working hard to find an alternative to leather whose price has increased considerably while the quality has decreased. Gaston Mille is still working hard to reduce the environmental impact by using eco-friendly materials and producing longer lasting shoes. We also participate in the Ti-Leather project, a European program for the production of chrome-free leather.”

The safety sector has grown a lot in recent years. How has the first half of 2015 been for you? “It was a very successful year with an 18% increase in sales. In reality, the first three months have been very slow, but business has been picking up since the beginning of June. The main problem for the future is connected to the decreasing value of the rouble which has stopped our orders for Russia and the price of petrol that influences orders from our distributors in the oil and gas sector.”