The "Living Heritage Company" (EPV) label.
is an official French label, created in 2005, issued under the authority of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, to distinguish French companies with craft and industrial skills deemed to be of excellence.
Atelier Le Soulor’s recognised expertise is Norwegian welt.
What ?
France, in line with the concept of intangible cultural heritage championed by Unesco, has chosen to apply this concept to businesses. This terminology "evokes the idea of an ensemble common to a significant number of people, transmissible from generation to generation, benefiting from or requiring special protection to enable its conservation or avoid its disappearance".
From glassmaking to footwear, jewellery to architecture, the Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label promotes French know-how.
In 2021, there were more than 1,448 companies holding the EPV label. These companies, with their exceptional expertise, generate a large number of jobs throughout France.
How ?
The procedure for awarding the EPV label is carried out by experts. The INMA (Institut National des Métiers d'Art) is responsible for examining and assessing these criteria.
Examination of the application file involves a visit to the production sites of the candidate companies by experts in the trade, drafting of an investigation report, examination and opinion by these Qualified Personalities, and the award decision handed down by the regional prefects: the selection process for Living Heritage Companies is a guarantee of their excellence.
This label, obtained by Atelier Le Soulor in May 2020, is valid for five years and is renewable..
What for ?
The aim is to recognise everything that contributes to the enhancement of heritage, i.e. the rarity, reputation and originality of products, or the possession of a famous name or brand. Companies must also have rare and well-known expertise.
Mastering traditional or highly technical techniques requires specific skills that cannot be acquired through normal training.
The professional gesture, the technique of the gesture are the object of the protection offered by the label.
The final criterion is the reputation of the company's cultural dimension (way of working, premises with historical or architectural value, etc.) and the length of time it has been established geographically..
For these often century-old companies, this label is a guarantee of quality on the international stage.