As the Foosball World Cup has just opened in Nantes on June 28, France Bleu Loire Océan takes you behind the scenes of the Petiot company. Based in Bazoges-en-Paillers, in Vendée, it has been manufacturing table football for over 60 years.
Top start of the World Cup table football in Nantes! This June 28, and until July 3, nearly 1,000 athletes from 45 different countries will compete at the Beaulieu sports hall. On this occasion, France Bleu Loire Océan takes you behind the scenes of a Vendée manufacturer of table football: the Petiot company, based in Bazoges-en-Paillers, created in 1961.
In this company of 12 employees, the different parts of the table football are assembled by hand, in the cabinetmaking-carpentry workshop. The wooden players are painted by hand, and their colors can be personalized. Foosball tables are not mass-produced, but only on order.
Enthusiasm since the Covid-19 pandemic
More and more commands: in 2021, the company manufactured 950 football tables, more than double compared to 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. The attraction for table football, relaunched for several years, exploded after the confinements. “People need to find conviviality”, analyzes Francky Coutaud, co-manager of the company.
While most customers are individuals, more and more communities and companies are placing orders.
– Leila Mechaouri