Building trade, developer
SAS Meignan : L'entreprise conseil
Meignan was founded as a family firm in 1971, and has been headed since 2005 by Benoît Gagneux. The company is a specialist in plastering, insulation and internal fit-out serving the west of France. Since its forty employees work directly for private customers as well as on public-sector contracts, its range of customers is as broad as its geographic footprint. Throughout its history, insulation has been one of its central areas of expertise.
As a member of the UMPI (Plastering and Insulation Trade Association) of the FFB (French building Federation), Benoît Gagneux is passionate about quality initiatives and quality marks. He was a member of the committee set up to review DTU 25-41 and 25-42, and the committee responsible for drafting the RAGE (Règles de l'Art Grenelle Environnement) programs, and particularly those concerned with renovation works. He sees ACERMI certification as "a guarantee of reliability and recognition " that boosts credibility as proof of DTU compliance. Benoît notes that his business is supported by guarantees that offer "aluable reassurance not only to customers, but also to insurers and the general public, because people are not particularly familiar with technical details like thermal resistance. ACERMI certification means that we can explain all the product qualities that have been assessed, including mechanical strength, compressive strength and water resistance ."
Although mineral-based materials account for the majority of the insulation installed by SAS Meignan, the company has an open-minded attitude to other products, and has not hesitated to test the many innovative 'green' materials that have entered the market since the Grenelle de l'environnement environmental initiative was introduced in France. "When a customer wants to use these products, we talk to them on the basis of the certification data and the recommendations made in the Technical Assessment ," continues Benoît Gagneux.
SAS Meignan is also very familiar with testing new processes and products, often at the request of their manufacturers. "Our advisory role is an essential one, especially as having too much information kills its informative value, and there are so many documents in circulation today that our customers often struggle to find the information they need." Which is why indisputable data like that produced by ACERMI is so important. Data based on precise analysis is increasingly demanded by customers for projects where 'near enough' is simply not good enough. "You have to understand how to specify the right product with the right accreditation label for the right application," concludes Benoît Gagneux.
SAS Meignan holds insulation, acoustic plasterboard and Qualibat accreditations for all the applications it serves.
And naturally, the company is also FFB 'Renovation Pro' accredited, which has earned it RGE (Recognized as Environmentally Friendly) status.
Contractor & Adviser
It can be difficult for customers to find their way through the multitude of information available about the benefits, or indeed the necessity, of insulating their homes. This is especially important given the financial subsidies and tax allowances available where projects comply with clearly defined eco-credentials. "It's not easy to find that information, especially since the rules change very frequently to introduce higher and higher requirements. Many customers only think of these considerations towards the end of the project, when the prospect of paying the bill prompts them to look at all the options for financial assistance," explains Benoît Gagneux. "As contractors, we also have an important duty to act as advisers, and we can provide that advice at two levels. Firstly at the specification stage, where we can base our recommendations on actual performance data certified by ACERMI. And then at the administrative stage, especially in terms of finance. Also, it's hard to overstate the importance of early-stage analysis as proposed in the Technical Assessments and RAGE recommendations. How can you recommend a solution if you don't know what has been done before that point ? In such circumstances, the contractor becomes specifier. So it's important that we know how to ask the right questions, and that our customers are aware of that."
