The quiet strength
8.30 am on a Thursday morning at Tonnellerie Berthomieu/Ermitage in La Charité-sur-Loire.
The workshop is bathed in the scent of toasted wood, and the coopers’ hammers set the pace.
Vincent Chaminion, 44, moves from one station to another, making sure that everything is running smoothly in “prod”.
The man is quiet, the day is underway. Vincent enjoys a busy past year and looks forward to the one to come.
I’m going to ask him to take a look in the rear-view mirror.
Born in Beffes, Cher, Vincent’s career is closely linked to his sporting career. “My first job was thanks to soccer. I’d just signed for Vauzelles, and then I joined Phillips Lighting. It wasn’t really my thing, but you had to work at it”. For a while, this young Berrichon toyed with the idea of turning pro. “I played with the Bourges national under-17s. Like all kids, at that age you want to go pro. Especially when you’re playing against PSG, Sochaux… Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Vincent left Vauzelles to join La Charité-sur-Loire. This transfer was to prove a turning point in the young soccer player’s career, and not just in sporting terms.
Adventure begins!
Trained as a carpenter, Vincent did a few months’ freelance work at Sorec in La Charité. “We were making furniture. I was behind a numerically-controlled console. What I like is wood, to feel it, touch it and work with it. Philippe Le Metayer was the club’s president at the time. “Some of my team-mates worked at Tonnellerie Berthomieu. I spoke to the president about it. That was in 2003, 20 years ago. Vincent’s first job was making barrel bottoms, and he was also involved in the “éprouvage” process, which consists in testing the tightness of the barrels before moving on to the finishing stages. “I’ve been through all the production stages. I’m capable of making a barrel from A to Z, from the beginning of the line to loading it onto the truck.
Twenty times on the job, time again
Vincent is the only cooperage manager in the group who wasn’t trained as a cooper. “I learned on the job, as they say, and what’s good here is that when you give yourself the means, they give you the means in return”. Vincent worked quietly in the background, patiently perfecting his knowledge of the trade and becoming workshop assistant to Nicolas, who was in charge at the time. “It’s a mark of confidence that I’ve been given, the chance to develop within the company. I couldn’t pass it up. Of course, you have to make a few compromises, but it’s worth it.
After the manager’s departure, Vincent received an offer for the position. He accepted without too many questions. “I knew the job, I’d worked with most of the guys (and girls) on the shop floor… For me, it was part of a logical progression, and I like a challenge, even if I didn’t really have a career plan. You can’t turn down an opportunity like this. And when I have to get my hands dirty, I do. I still go out to repair barrels at customers’ sites, for example. It’s important to keep my hand in.
Three questions to Vincent :
Vincent, you are now site manager at Tonnellerie Berthomieu/Ermitage. What does this mean to you?
I’m quite proud to have been given this responsibility. I had to get to grips with the management side of things, which isn’t necessarily the easiest thing. The fact that I’m one of the most senior people here is an asset, as is the fact that I know the job inside out. Managing thirty or so people is a job in itself. It requires me to spend a bit more time in the office, at the computer. Which I do before the guys arrive and after they’ve left. And then, I can count on the HR department and the staff, especially Louis Mangani.
You worked for Berthomieu before Charlois bought the cooperage. Did that change anything?
Quite a lot. In terms of production, we went from 90 barrels a day to 130. And in terms of working conditions too. Charlois brought us rigor, the resources to work well and the group’s own values. On a more personal level, everything I have today is thanks to Charlois. When you work hard, you’re rewarded.
What about soccer? Do you still play?
Oh no. I’m 44 years old and I think my body, without being worn out, is tired. I have another hobby now, which we do as a family, with my wife and daughters, and that’s pétanque. We take part in competitions almost every weekend, and travel all over France in our camper van. My wife plays too, and my daughters are just starting out. We have a great time. It’s important to find the right balance between work and personal life.
Photography © Christophe Deschanel
