We take you behind the scenes of Mod’Verre in Grasse, specialist in scientific glassware
2024-01-15 07:30:00
The company was born 30 years ago and has been run for 20 years by Fabien Cotta, an energetic and passionate boss. Mod’Verre in Grasse supplies local companies like Mane or Robertet, which need cutting-edge scientific glassware to work with aromas and perfume plants in particular.
Scientific units, molecular distillation, repair of all types of glass bottles and other balloon heaters, but also equipment intended to equip an entire laboratory, from the pipette to the furniture, including the Miele brand washer-disinfector (of which it is the only supplier), Mod’Verre now supports more than 2,500 customers. “At the beginning of Mod’Verre, the main activity was glass blowing. Manufacturing and repair, says Fabien Cotta, with the company for 20 years, and sole shareholder since 2015. And little by little, we offered other services. Now we are able to create a laboratory from A to Z.”
Three years after joining Mod’Verre, Fabien Cotta multiplies turnover by five. Around, it’s x 7 to reach more than 1.5 million euros with six passionate employees who run the store, including Chloé Jamis, the boss’s right (and left) arm. Family atmosphere in the Grasse warehouse during our visit. Family, yes, but at a hundred miles an hour. It must be said that at the end of the year, it’s a bit of a rush.
6,000 shipments per year
“We carry out 35 shipments per day, around 6,000 per year, packages which go all over the world and which must be delivered on time,” explains the boss whom we follow from one end to the other of the 600 m² of premises. Our clients are mainly companies in the region but they have subsidiaries all over the world. We ship Mod’Verre to Dubai, Bangkok… We have jumped on the train of their success. We let’s accompany you everywhere. It’s a source of pride to have the trust of such actors.”
A quality service built on the talents of glassblowers, an artisanal profession, with know-how that cannot be invented, as is often the case. At the helm of the scientific glassware manufacturing and repair branch (which today only accounts for 8% of Mod’Verre’s turnover), Romain Fois, in position for 15 years. “You should know that to carry out a repair in our field, 10 years of experience are necessary. This is real know-how. Hours and hours of practice are essential to master the technique. Finally, I would say that it is a profession where you train all your life. That’s also what’s exciting.” Romain Fois indicates that since the 90s the profession has not changed too much. We do not mechanize these actions. While he explains to us the specificity of this borosilicate glass, that is to say that like a Pyrex® type glass, it will resist the temperature changes to which it will be subjected, and this without breaking, he lights the flame at using a lighter.
A flame at 1800 degrees
A mixture of city gas and oxygen appears, very blue, at 1,800 degrees. No heat felt though. The magic of this mixture. He must repair a damaged tricol (chemist’s glass with 3 necks). He “saws” the broken part using a diamond wheel, recovers a tube of the right size to rebuild the neck part and places the part on the turner. He plugs the holes in the part he is going to repair to prevent flashback. He takes molten glass at the end of his hose. Heated, the glass is malleable, turned at the right speed, it fits perfectly between the two parts and assembles them without any trace of welding being visible. The part is then put in the oven to further stress it and prevent it from being sensitive and breaking quickly. “This passage in the oven will allow the part to regain its original solidity.” Romain Fois presents us with the myriad of glass tubes stored in his workshop which allow either the repair of all types of glass objects or the manufacture of custom-made pieces. Like molecular distillery unit [devant lequel il pose aux côtés de Fabien Cotta ci-contre, ndlr]. One to two months of work are necessary on such a piece which sells for around 40,000 euros.
Note that all glass products come from the French specialist Saint-Gobain. With nearly 30 partners following Mod’Verre in its activity, the challenge is a success for CEO Fabien Cotta, former Basque pelota champion, converted to entrepreneurship. “The life of a business leader is not a long, quiet river. You have to reckon with customers, suppliers, meet deadlines, add CSR issues against the backdrop of an energy emergency, but the whole team is there. My colleagues are the glue of Mod’Verre.” He says it in front of them, in complete transparency.
Fabien Cotta, the CEO of Mod’Verre (left), alongside Romain Fois, the region’s only scientific glass blower. They pose in front of a custom-made piece for a local perfumer, a molecular distillery unit. Franck Fernandes.