Des petites histoires
 The little stories ......
...of our company.

1928

Raymond Joseph started in the industry in 1922. He became familiar with the business of an entrepreneur, starting with the manufacture of  bicycles chains. Everything began in Bischheim, on the road to Bischwiller, in a private house that had a hangar. Business was tough and the competition terrible. Raymond gave up. His uncle, Dr Braunberger, and his wife encourage him to persevere. Raymond made an almost insane decision for the period: manufacturing products based on a raw material that people considered crude, , worthless, whose usefulness was then limited to making fences: steel wire.

1958

In August 1958, a violent storm stuck and flooded the factory. Raymond had announcement made on a major radio station and asked his employees to mobilize to save the factory. Despite vacations, all of them answered the call. As a thank-you, a gigantic choucroute-party was organized.

1959

Raymond Joseph does not play golf. He prefers to attend polo matches. Howerer ... Caddy, then Caddy. This name, he chose it during a trip to America, long before the Dayton Congress of 1962. Contrary to the genrally held idea, it was not in Vittel that the Caddie brand was invented, but in the United states. Raymond has already registered the name on November 17, 1959 in all the equipment and in all variations of names. This remarkable persistency is still used as an example today in training programs on industrial property.

1959

The real revolution did not come until the late 1950s, just at the period when Raymond Joseph imported the concept of the wheeled cart from the United States.
Ateliers Réunis became Ateliers Réunis Caddie. Raymond Joseph created the first French trolley equipped with a hinged door in 1957 and registered the brand in 1959.

1960

Since everything is good to talk about yourself, why not not enter the Guinness Book? The company took the leap by building the largest Caddie cart in the world, recently exhibited at 2017 EuroShop trade show and that was very successful. Over the years, the company multiplied,its communication to all professionals and the public, in France and worldwide.

1970

Raymond Joseph did not tolerate nonchalance, slow paces. Attitudes quickly seemed, in his opinion, too indolent. He could rush up behind the employees to make them speed up!  When he went into the workshops, he gave the money meant for the barber to those whose hair seemed too long to him.

1970

Switzerland was one of the preferred destinations for the employees of Mr. Raymond Joseph. The outings were most often scheduled for mid-July. As demanding as regards the well-being of employees, nothing must disturb the course of the day. So that everything was perfect, he had the convoy escorted by motorcyclits on both sides of the border.

1978

Raymond Joseph honored at the Palais des Congrès in Strasbourg on the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary. During this exceptional event, he will award a louis gold to each of its employees!

1982

In 1982, in a logic of protecting names related to Caddie, the company registered Caddy in class 12, which then included carts and ... vehicles at the time.
When Volkswagen decides to launch in Europe its Caddy commercial  vehicle, the German car manufacturer discovered that the brand name was protected. There  was no question of modifying the name so it hard no choice other than contacting the Alsatian company and negotiating a concession in the fom of a licence. This deal would provide our company with comfortable royalties.

JOURNEY OF A FRENCH ICON _ the Caddie book

Available for sale

This heavily illustrated book tells, through the destiny of this curious cart, the story of our contemporary life-styles. Celebrated by writers and artists, the Caddie® is an "icon" with a brilliant future.
Order it
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