Reorganization and industrialization
Since the acquisition of T-Top, renamed T-Top Nautic in June 2023, followed by that of Cap Sellerie Nautique in October of the same year, Eric Soleau has been working on the organization of the 35-strong company specializing in hoods, biminis and other exterior protection for the boating industry. With a background in the medical sector, where he produced textile partitions, the entrepreneur was keen to bring his experience and high standards to the table: "T-Top Nautic will be 20 years old in 2025. It's a fine company that has grown well. Everything is integrated, with mastery of design, manufacturing, cutting, bending and assembly. By refitting the workshop, industrializing and investing in machinery and an ERP system, we have increased our production capacity by 50%."
A quality image in the boating industry
Although the T-Top brand has become common parlance for some yachtsmen, its new owner stresses that there is still work to be done in terms of image. A new logo, displaying French manufacturing through blue, white and red sails, and a modernized style support the approach that Eric Soleau sums up as follows: "We need to have an image that matches what we do: a product that's both high-quality and mass-produced. This involves quality control and our design office, which accounts for 20% of our workforce, and will enable us to further increase the quality and durability of our products."
Growing in France and abroad
T-Top Nautic has high ambitions for growth. Original equipment currently accounts for the bulk of production, mainly in France, but Eric Soleau sees opportunities in export markets and in the canvas and structure replacement market: " We need to be able to take market share in France, and export more. Our products have equipped tens of thousands of boats over the past 20 years, and we're preparing to renew them for retrofitting. I'm confident in our ability to grow in this market. "
