“Little Cadors, the kings of naps are from Toulouse”
L'Opinon Indépendante Sud-Ouest published an article on the Petits Cadors
Interviewed by Héloïse Thépaut, Laurent recounts the genesis of the brand and talks about our manufacturing circuit
Rocked by the vibrations of the car, you look for a comfortable position to sleep well, but the task is far from easy. Even with a U-shaped neck strap, it's impossible to sleep a wink. A situation experienced by Laurent Padiou and his family. "In the summer of 2018, we went on vacation to Brittany. We bought a U-shaped cushion for our 10-year-old daughter. Except that she didn't sleep with it. Impossible to find the right position to sleep with. sleep properly. On the way back, we said to ourselves that we could do something about this problem," he says.
Laurent Padiou and his partner Muriel Goudol, both in communications, then imagined a pillow in the shape of a carton and equipped with a fastening system to be able to attach it to the headrest of the car seat. Once home, they take their sewing machines and make a prototype. “We had our friends test it and we realized that we had something to market because we were responding to a real need,” recalls the father. They then created Petits Cadors, in Toulouse, in April 2019. Then, in the summer of 2019, they launched the industrial scale production of their first pillows.
Pillows 100% made in South-West
In the car, on a hammock, a deck chair or office chair and even on the beach, each Petits Cadors nomadic pillow is suitable for your favorite places to take a nap. The company offers five models of cushions: Isidor , the car pillow patented for its hanging system and medalist in the Lépine competition, the twin brother cushions: Téodor and Salvador , the first for taking a nap inside and the second outside, and the mini Salvador , also called the quiet time comforter, which is designed for children from three to eight years old, and finally the Z, the tandem pillow for resting for two.
In terms of manufacturing, the cushions are 100% made in South-West. "At the beginning, our pillows were made in the north of France, but we reviewed our production system. In our eco-responsible approach, that is to say manufacturing in France but also limiting the transport of goods, it "It was absurd to transport our cushions from the north to the south of France", explains the general director of Petits Cadors.
The company then decided to centralize all its production in the South-West.
Thus, recycled plastic bottles, raw material used for cushion padding, are compacted in Ariège. They are then sent to Isle-Jourdain, in Gers, where the Lahille company produces, from these bottles, a ready-to-use carded fiber. The empty pillows are made at the Léopoldine workshop , located in Pau. This is where the fabrics, coming from France or Europe depending on the model, ribbons and straps are cut and where the pillows are sewn. The hand filling of the cushions, finishing, packaging and shipping are done in Nailloux, in the brand's workshop. “From cutting the fabric to packaging, the cushion will have traveled a maximum of 200 km,” indicates Laurent Padiou.
New cushions in 2020
Mainly sold on the brand's online store, the pillows are also on sale in various stores in France, including the Slow concept store in Toulouse . They could also soon be found on motorway service areas. “At the moment, we are in discussions with motorway service stations. But these are more difficult circuits to understand and we will have to review our production to be certain of being able to meet demand,” informs the manager.
In 2019, Petits Cadors sold just over 3,000 pillows. For 2020, the Toulouse company is targeting just over 10,000 units. “Containment has had a beneficial effect on our business. People have had a click and now want to buy more local,” notes the co-founder of Petits Cadors.
In addition, the company will launch a new pillow in September. “It will be called Nött. It will be a cushion for hikers, campers or even mountaineers. It is a more technical pillow, very light and designed in a fabric that can go underwater and in the snow” , announces Laurent Padiou. Petits Cadors is also working on a cushion prototype for the plane and the train which will be marketed at the end of 2020.
Read the article on the Independent Opinion website
PUBLISHED ON 07/08/2020 - WRITTEN BY HELOISE THEPAUT
