Made in France
The name Rhodia reflects the brand’s roots along the Rhône River, where the inhabitants are known as “Rhodanians.” Its iconic logo symbolises the company’s founders, brothers Henri and Robert Vérilhac.
Legend has it that the logo was sketched in a single spontaneous stroke by Antonia, Henri’s wife, and it has remained unchanged ever since. Today, the trees continue to embody the very essence of Rhodia, so much so that the brand is often affectionately called “the one with the two fir trees.”
The factory
The stationery firm “Papeteries Vérilhac Frères” was founded in Lyon, France, in 1932 by two brothers, Henri and Robert Vérilhac. They came from a family of paper merchants and their market extended from France across all of North Africa.
At first they sold notebooks and stationery products, and then, in 1934, they started manufacturing and selling the Rhodia pads. In 1997, Rhodia was bought by Clairefontaine.
The production units were then grouped together near Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin, France) and the company Clairefontaine Rhodia was born.
Clairefontaine paper
The Clairefontaine paper is made in Etival-Clairefontaine, in the Vosges, always on the same machine. Its characteristics reflect a subtle balance:
- its strength provides superior opacity and strength, such as easy folding of the sheets,
- its satin finish is perfectly regular so that the feather glides easily, not too sharp so that the tip does not slip,
- its gluing is irreproachable so that the ink and felt tip do not blot, but measured to leave the paper in love with writing,
- its formation is totally homogeneous thanks to the choice of paper pulp, the refining and progressive draining of the fibers, which then allows the printing of fine, precise lines and easy writing,
- its whiteness makes the text appear clearly, without dazzling the eyes
SUSTAINABLE
Ever since the 70s, this Vosges-based company has been “going green”
by producing its papers with a neutral pH.
In 1981, a biological treatment plant for production water was installed.
Since 2005, the wood used for paper pulp is from 100% PEFC and FSC© certified
forests. These two certifications guarantee sustainable forest management
and a consideration of environmental, social and societal issues respectively.
Paper also has the virtue of being recyclable.
In fact, Clairefontaine’s Everbal subsidiary, which specialises in the production
of recycled paper without deinking or bleaching, achieves a very high yield
of 100 kg produced from 106 kg of waste paper.
Finally, located in the heart of the Vosges, a forest area par excellence, Clairefontaine’s
paper mills manage and maintain over one hundred hectares of fir and spruce trees
in order to preserve biodiversity, while promoting the regeneration of these species.