Hutchinson is a manufacturer with its headquarters located in Paris, France. It is a subsidiary of

TotalEnergies TotalEnergies SE is a French Multinational corporation, multinational integrated energy and List of oil exploration and production companies, petroleum company founded in 1924 and one of the seven Big Oil, supermajor oil companies. Its businesses ...

. In 1853, the company was founded by Hiram Hutchinson in the city of

Châlette-sur-Loing Châlette-sur-Loing () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Geography The commune is crossed by two rivers, the Loing and the Solin, and three canals, the Canal du Loing, the Canal de Briare and the Canal d'Orléans. ...

, in Central France. It has more than 44,000 employees in 24 countries. Hutchinson offers products for

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

and automotive industries as well as rail, construction, industry, and defense. It is the third largest non-tire rubber manufacturer in the world. Caoutchouc_naturel

History

Late 19th century

* In 1853, the American engineer

Hiram Hutchinson Hiram Hutchinson (1808–1869) was an American industrialist of British origin. In 1853 he founded a rubber company in France that was the predecessor of Hutchinson SA, a multinational industrial conglomerate. The company was sold by his family in ...

met

Charles Goodyear Charles Goodyear (December 29, 1800 – July 1, 1860) was an American self-taught chemist and manufacturing engineer who developed vulcanized rubber, for which he received patent number 3633 from the United States Patent Office on June 15, 1844. ...

in Paris where Hutchinson obtained patents from Goodyear, using a technological monopoly to create rubber products. A factory was founded in Langlée, near

Montargis Montargis () is a communes of France, commune in the Loiret Departments of France, department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Montargis is the seventh most populous commune in the Loiret, after Orléans and its suburbs. It is near a large forest, ...

. * In 1890, the company began the manufacture of

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

tires.

1900–1920

* In 1903, Hutchinson diversified their operations from the manufacturing of bicycle tires and began manufacture of coated canvases for

airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...

s and

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

s. * In 1918, Hutchinson headquarters moved to the

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is lo ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. * In 1920, Hutchinson expanded into other sectors, including

shoes A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

Textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

, heavyweights,

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...

s, mats, belts, gaskets for jars.

1930–1980

* In 1934, Jean-Felix Paulsen and Stratosky, former colleagues at

Citroën Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...

, founded the company 'Paulstra' to develop a method for adhering rubber to metal. In 1965, the Paulstra brand produced over fifteen million pairs of gloves. * In 1973, Hutchinson and Mapa merged and Jean-Felix Paulsen sold Paulstra to Hutchinson

Mapa Mapa or MAPA may refer to: People * Alec Mapa (born 1965), American actor, comedian and writer * Dennis Mapa (born 1969), Filipino economist and statistician * Jao Mapa (born 1976), Filipino actor * Placido Mapa Jr. (born 1932), Filipino business ...

(which was renamed Hutchinson in 1981). * In 1974, the company Total took a majority stake in the Hutchinson. The new company had 13,500 employees across 26 different sites. The Hutchinson Group focused its major markets in

automobiles A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

and heavy industry. * In 1986, Hutchinson acquired two new companies: Le Joint Français (rubber manufacturer) and the Corduroy Rubber Company.

Markets

Hutchinson’s main focuses are Automotive and Aerospace. But they also create products for Rail, Industry, Defense, and Energy markets.

Automotive

Hutchinson entered the Automotive Industry when it began making car tires in 1903. The company no longer makes tires and instead manufactures parts for the interior of automobiles that prevent vibration, manage fluids, and create seals. Hutchinson’s products can be found on popular car models such as the Mazda 3.

Aerospace

Hutchinson entered the Aerospace industry in 1910 when it began to manufacture coated canvas for airships like the Astra Torres and airplanes like the

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

biplane. Hutchinson continues to manufacture products for a variety of aircraft including commercial aircraft, regional and business jets, other types of airplanes, and even helicopters.

Hutchinson Aerospace Services

Hutchinson Aerospace Services launched in 2019 to provide aftermarket aerospace services to OEMs and airlines customers.

Products

Hutchinson makes Body Sealing Systems, Precision Sealing Systems, Fluid Management Systems, Materials & Structures, Vibration Control Systems, and Belt Drive Systems.

Anti-vibration

Vibration control parts and systems such as the SmartDamper® reduce engine noise. Hutchinson’s suspension systems can be found on the Mazda 3.

Sealing Systems

Hutchinson develops seals, sealants, membranes, etc. These seals can be seen surrounding edges of car doors or windows, for example. Precision Sealing products such as o-rings have both automotive and industrial applications. In July 2019, Hutchinson signed a contract to supply sealing systems to Airbus and Boeing.

Fluid Management

Hutchinson’s Fluid Management Systems transport liquids like water, air, gas, etc. throughout a vehicle. Examples include engine cooling, fuel injection, air conditioning, braking, among others. Hutchinson’s fluid management systems can be found on the Airbus Helicopter H160.

Fab Houses

Hutchinson has a presence on five continents. Its main manufacturing locations are Europe, Asia, and North America, the same locations as the company’s meeting centers, which they call a Fab House. In 2016, the 507 Fab House and the 616 Fab House opened in France and the United States, respectively. The Fab House in China, called 822, opened in 2019. Hutchinson has multiple plants in China, Poland, and the United States. Recently, the company has pushed to digitize all their plants to optimize processes.

Research

Hutchinson has a history of creating products to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The company participates in European Commission funded research initiatives such as

Clean Sky The Clean Sky Joint Undertaking (CSJU) is a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European aeronautics industry that coordinates and funds research activities to deliver significantly quieter and more environmentally ...

, the goal of which is to reduce the impact of air travel on the environment. Hutchinson is the coordinator of two Clean Sky 2 projects focusing on air treatment and temperature control in aircraft. In 2017, the company hosted a student research competition in the 507 Fab House. Hutchinson and its partner Electreon are members of The Smart Road Gotland Consortium, the goal of which is to develop electric roads. The technology allows vehicles to charge while driving via coils embedded in the roadway. Electrive explains, “The coils are embedded eight centimetres below the surface, invisible to road users, and only activated when a vehicle drives over them.” Hutchinson manufactures these coils. Electreon participated in a pilot project for the

Swedish Transport Administration electric road program The Swedish Transport Administration electric road program ( sv, Trafikverkets Program för Elvägar) or Swedish Transport Administration Electrification Program ( sv, Trafikverkets Program för Elektrifiering) is a program involving the assessment, ...

where Electreon embedded its technology in a one-mile stretch of road on the island of Gotland.

Major Acquisitions

Hutchinson has acquired many companies with varying expertise. In 1974 Hutchinson acquired Paulstra, a company which specializes in vibration and acoustic insulation. The company made multiple acquisitions in 2019. In January, Hutchinson announced the acquisition of an American parts manufacturer called Midé Technology. In September, Hutchinson acquired a thermal management company called TCSA from Mann+Hummel. “TCSA is now a joint venture between the two companies, dedicated to thermal management and cooling systems for vehicles, particularly EV and HEV and integrated in Hutchinson’s FMS (Fluid Management Systems) activity.” Later that month, Hutchinson announced its acquisition of German aerospace company, PFW. The acquisition was completed in January 2020.

References

External links

Official web site
Tire manufacturers of France Cycle parts manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Paris Companies established in 1853 French brands {{France-company-stub