When the SEB Group is just about to carry out the biggest acquisition in its history, the latter is not widely known and not as nice as it may seem.
Few are the people who have never heard about the famous “cocotte-minute” (pressure cooker), which was designed in 1953 within the SEB facilities. As it was stated by the SEB Group in 2005 for the 50th anniversary of the “cocotte-minute”: « It is a matter of high and justified pride to be one of the main innovations of the 20th century and to enter 9 French homes out of 10 ».
In its corporate communication, the SEB Group even highlights this founding benchmark : « A great leap was taken forward in 1953 with the release of the “cocotte-minute”, which provided the Group – from then on called Société d’Emboutissage de Bourgogne – with a national stature ».
Today, the SEB Group is unrivalled. We can get from the press that this Group’s best-seller is still on the market and more than 70 million pressure cookers of this type have been sold since it was designed.
Under the supervision of Jean Lescure, the technical staff relied on two persons, whose names are unknown to the public; Raymond Louet, father (among other things) of the famous rotating valve, and Camille Philippe who came up with the bright idea of the stainless locking bracket.
Besides, in the sector of industry and over two decades, the important inventions of these two researchers had a worldwide echo. But they extended further their scope of research: they devoted their research to solving many kinds of household problems (coffee-makers, aluminum bottoms of pans, removable handles for various devices, safety systems for pressure cookers…).
In 1967, Mr. Philippe was behind the design of the odorless electric fryer which generated a turnover of several hundreds of millions of euros, thus enabling, I quote, « to give a job to 400 persons within the SEB Group ». (Letter dated September 17th 1997, from the SEB Group to Mr. Philippe on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the electric fryer).
One might reasonably think that Mr. Philippe and Mr. Louet, who had taken an active part in the world growth of the SEB Group over 26 years, would have been fairly rewarded in return for their priceless services within this Group…
Not at all. Even if the SEB Group acknowledged their authorship, the two inventors were not granted any extra remuneration for their inventions. Albeit perfectly legal at that time, it is definitely scandalous from the moral point of view. But the most incredible part of this story is still to be told.
Mr. Camille Phillipe, who was ill then, was subjected in 1969 to an utterly unbelievable amendment to his employment contract: in case of sick leave, his wages would be guaranteed but only insofar as he brought out some profitable patents.
This was an early form of the stock phrase: “invention-for-food”.
In 1972, the SEB Group assessed that Mr. Camille Philippe’s creations were poorly inventive and, in accordance with this most scandalous contract, the wages guarantee was invalidated and Mr. Phillipe was laid off straight afterwards. What an odd gesture of gratitude from the SEB Group towards this inventor, whose creation has enabled the Group to be the world leader in its sector. This disgraceful practice is obviously shocking.
In 1975, during the Initial Public Offering, the SEB Group didn’t even offer him to benefit from the very attractive conditions.
Today, Mr. Louet is deceased and Mr. Camille Philippe is an old man who deserves a financial recognition.
We all remember the advertising slogan « SEB c’est bien » (SEB is good), no, this isn’t good at all. Mr. Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise is the CEO of the SEB Group and an in-law relative of Jean Lescure the precursor. He earns a 2,000,000€ overall annual pay, including 20,000 € of Director’s fees, it’s high time he let fall at least a few crumbs for our valorous inventors.