Paul Ricard

Before the legend

Paul Ricard is the son of a wine merchant. Curious about all and mischievous, it is interested in arts, the Théâtre, the drawing but it is another field which will start its vocation. March 16th 1915, under the pressure of the leagues of virtue and the wine lobby, the wormwood (which leads to the Délirium tremens ) is prohibited with the pretext which it makes insane and criminal , this prohibition is not currently in force any more.

The consumers must be satisfied with anisated liquors with 40° - Cressonnée, Tommysette, the Passing fancy, Berger and the already famous Pernod - whose sales are authorized since 1922 but whose savor is not satisfactory. Them the name of " then is given; pasticchio" , word of Italian origin meaning turbid situation or muddle.

Paul Ricard as of his adolescence has only one goal: to manufacture its own pastis and to make some most popular, more appreciated consumers. In a small laboratory of fortune that it arranged at his place with a Still, it devotes its time to make mixtures, to test the flavors, to play alchemist of anisated drink. It decides to add preciously selected liquorice and plants of Provence with a priority, to find the purity of anise and its so particular taste.

1932, the year of the " libération"

April 7th 1932 is one day particularly celebrated with Marseilles because a decree liberalizes the manufacture and the sale of anisated drinks with 40°. Paul Ricard has just created the original receipt of his pastis which then indicates for the first time an aperitif. He gives him his name " It will be Ricard, the true pastis of Marseille". This engagement will be reproduced on each bottle of Ricard: " Sure of the great quality of my pastis and to trust of his single taste, I engage my name for your plaisir".

Admittedly, a savor was born but also a mode and a ritual from consumption. With an amount of Ricard and five volumes of water, Paul Ricard launches first long drink to the Frenchwoman, a light and original receipt which is also at the origin of the success of the mark. He thus starts to make the turn of the bars and coffees of the city, to make known itself and to be made customers, because competition is hard in Marseilles.

In eight month, 250.000 bottles are sold. Paul Ricard deals with all: he conceives itself the famous spout pitcher, he draws the advertizing posters which decorate the first trucks of delivery of the company. Very quickly, the mark leaves the only Marseilles territory because Paul Ricard is ambitious and sees far.

In 1936 it is Lyon which discovers drink. In 1938 a decree carries the alcohol content of the “pastaga” to 45° and thus allows savor pastis to take importance. Lastly, Paris is touched in 1939, with great reinforcement of publicity. This year there, of the bottles make their appearance in Spain, Italy and North Africa. The expansion is confirmed but the events will oppose during a few years the saga Ricard.

The bracket of the black years

In 1940, it is the defeat of the French Army and the birth of the Régime of Vichy in the free Zone. The French State lance its “National Revolution” and attacks all that the reactionaries from now on with the capacity detest: the Republic, the Democracy and, moral order obliges, the pastis which is prohibited and diabolisé as being one of the persons in charge of the degeneration of the nation, and thus of its crushing by the Germany.

It will be necessary to see in this measurement all the prejudices and the bad reputation of Marseilles, whose Cosmopolitisme and the rebellious heart do not return within the framework it new capacity.

The blow is hard but Paul Ricard does not acknowledge himself not overcome: he reconverts himself into agriculture by taking possession of the field of Méjanes, in the Camargue: one practices there the Riz iculture and the breeding. By employing its personnel, it avoids STO to them. To supplement this activity, it exploits the mineral water of Pestrin, a source acquired in Ardèche, produced fruit juices and distills them to provide an alcoholic drink to the Résistance. It seems that he said to his close relations interlocutors I emmerde the general Pétain .

To the Release, disappointment will be all the more large as the new government revokes only partially the provisions of Vichy by authorizing only aperitifs with 40°.

A world mark

In 1951, the miam breathes: the 45° is finally restored after long and rough battle. Other side of the coin, the publicity of aniseed aperitifs by posting or way of press is prohibited.

Crushing argument? At all, after the war, Paul Ricard went to the the United States at the time of a voyage organized for French companies. He discovers there the receipt of the success of the American firms and more generally the conquering atmosphere of this country than he admires: a very professional organization, a proximity of the leaders and employees, a dialog of every moment with the trade unions and also practice of the Sponsoring.

While returning to France, Paul Ricard decides to take the initiative and of launching the company in a way still far from known in the country, that of sponsorship: in 1948 the caravan of the turn sees appearing strange vehicles raising the yellow and blue ricard. The evening, of the free concerts bringing together the stars and the hopes of the moment (Darcelys, Tino Rossi, Charles Trenet, Annie Cordy) the spectators enchant. In 1956, into full Crisis with Suez oil and shortage, it organizes the “cruising of thirst”, with a delivery of Ricard in Paris with back of camel! In 1961, it takes along all its personnel in the train to Rome and the pastis is seen blessed by Jean XXIII!

The financial progression of the mark is fulgurating and in the year 2000 it celebrates its two billion sold bottles. Paul Ricard also innovates in his company: the employees are with the point of the social progress of the thirty glorious ones and even if its detractors taxed it with “Paternalisme”, nevertheless the work conditions of the personnel did much envieux: participation in the profits, profit-sharing, social protection, saving reprocesses, the whole pulled by a true team spirit and a very strong bond between the owner and his employees.

In 1968, Paul Ricard decides to pass the hand: Bernard Ricard takes the changing then, yields his place to Patrick Ricard. In the Seventies, Ricard amalgamates with its enemy of always Pernod. Today, the group is one of the world leaders of the wines and spirits.

The patron

Paul Ricard cannot be limited to the head of undertaking. Parallel to its company, the Mécénat always belonged to its passion. The term of touch-with-all corresponds to him and it engaged in many adventures by challenge or conviction.

In sport, Paul Ricard, who had close to Signes, village in the of the department of Var back-country of which he was the mayor, a vast domain of thousand hectares, makes build beside an aerodrome the famous circuit of Castellet, which very quickly will become a reference of the mechanical sports: the F1 in 1971 (and until 1990), the Grands Prix motor bike and the Gold Bowl. The circuit was repurchased in 1999 by Bernie Ecclestone, the owner of F1, who in made a circuit of ultra tests modern, but without spectators nor competitions… He was also the patron of the navigator Alain Colas in 1973 then supported Eric Tabarly in 1978 for the design of the Hydrofoil , the ancestor of the Hydroptère: in love with the sea and owner with a boat with cruising, the Garlaban , Paul Ricard made speak passion. It would not have to be forgotten that, in its birthplace, Marseilles, it is the instigator, with the support of its unquestionable national director of the sales of the time-a Charles Pasqua - famous Mondial the Marseillaise of Pétanque, of which the first edition take place in 1961. Promised with a rapid disappearance, this contest attracts today thousands of participants of the whole world.

The Law Barzac in 1987, prohibiting sporting sponsoring for the alcohol marks, condemned the group to be withdrawn from this field.

In arts and the culture, Paul Ricard set up in the Sixties the Foundation Paul Ricard which aimed to reveal and to promote young talents of the literature, painting and well of others. He was impassioned by painting and acquired of famous “Fishing to tuna” of Salvador Dali. The mark always continued this policy, even after the departure of the owner, with creation in 1988 of Ricard SA Live Music which organizes concerts, of which certain free, with stars main roads and international.

Paul Ricard also invests himself in the Tauromachie, with the clubs taurins which today still take an active part in the organization of demonstrations and festivals around this tradition.

Science does not have escaped with the thirst for challenge, with “passion to create” as he said: the business of “red muds” and pollution of the factories Pechiney which defrayed the chronicle in the Sixties encouraged the patron to make build on the island of Embiez, of which it acquired in 1958, the oceanographical institute: this institute, always in activity, implemented of many research programs on the biodiversity and environmental protection. An aquarium, a museum and many days discovered for the schoolboys supplemented this ambitious project in which Alain Bombard collaborated.

Paul Ricard acquired of two islands: the Embiez, with broad of Six-Furnace-the-Beaches, and which is a high tourist place of the Riviera as well as the island of Bendor to broad of Bandol, a paradisiac place plus intimist and more personnel. Paul Ricard expressed his love of the sea and nature until in his last days: he rests today in peace on a point of Embiez, vis-a-vis the big wide.

Paul Ricard mayor

Aspect far from known of its dense existence, Paul Ricard was mayor of Signes, village of the Var near to the circuit of Castellet, between 1972 and 1980. It had an immense property there. Man with the multiple facets, celebrates it contractor and builder was posed during his mandate as a defender of rurality, village sociability and the environment: never miserly of attacks against the administration with large a " A" that he judged very far away from reality, he often denounced the large commercial signs which killed the small shop or the négligeances in the management of forest spaces. Thus Paul Ricard denounced the little of interest of the state in this field by addressing to the president Georges Pompidou a letter called " When all the drill burns, there will be no more incendie" !!

Sources

Pochna Marie-France, Paul Ricard, the man who resembles himself , PAU editions, 1996.
Paul Ricard, passion to create , Albin Michel, 1981.
Merry Bromberger - How They Made Fortune , 1954 (Plon)

See too

Alcoholic drink
Pastis
Pernod Ricard
Circuit Paul Ricard
Signs

External bonds

Official site of Pernod Ricard
Site of Prodimarques, section Pernod Ricard

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