Georges Vésier
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Georges Vésier (26 October 1858 – 6 November 1938) was a French engineer who for many years headed the
Compagnie française des métaux The Compagnie française des métaux (CFM) was a French metallurgy company founded in 1892 that acquired the assets of a predecessor that had gone into liquidation. The company operated a number of plants in different locations in France, mainly m ...
, a major metallurgy company in France specializing in copper and aluminum products.


Early years

Georges Louis Vésier was born on 26 October 1858 in Paris. Vésier's birth certificate in the Paris archives does not name his father and does not record the profession of his mother. He studied at the
Lycée Condorcet The Lycée Condorcet () is a school founded in 1803 in Paris, France, located at 8, rue du Havre, in the city's 9th arrondissement. It is one of the four oldest high schools in Paris and also one of the most prestigious. Since its inception, var ...
. He was engaged for his military service in the artillery in 1878, leaving with the rank of sub-officer. He then studied at the
École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...
, where he was a brilliant pupil. He graduated as an engineer in 1882. He married a Mlle Damour de Valbray. Vésier was an engineer and then director at the
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety o ...
, a chemical products manufacturer, from 1882 to 1889. He became a director at the Forges d'Einville from 1889 to 1891, then managing director of the Stéarinerie de l'Etoile in Saint-Denis from 1891 to 1899. In 1895 Vésier was appointed an administrator at the
Compagnie française des métaux The Compagnie française des métaux (CFM) was a French metallurgy company founded in 1892 that acquired the assets of a predecessor that had gone into liquidation. The company operated a number of plants in different locations in France, mainly m ...
(CFM). He invented an apparatus for making
superphosphate Triple superphosphate is a component of fertilizer that primarily consists of monocalcium phosphate, Ca(H2PO4)2. Triple superphosphate is obtained by treating phosphate rock with phosphoric acid. Traditional routes for extraction of phosphate rock ...
s.


President of Compagnie française des métaux

On 2 May 1899, during a company crisis, Vésier was appointed president and managing director (''administrateur délégué'') at the CFM. Several directors had been dismissed due to financial setbacks. His was an example of promotion strictly on the basis of ability, which was not always the case among companies at the time. He proved to be a strong leader for this large enterprise over the next forty years. In 1899 he was appointed Vice President of the Chambre Syndicale des Métaux, and became President in 1913. At the outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–18) Vésier was charged by the relevant ministries with allocating important orders related to copper production for the national defense. The CFM's Ardennes factory was invaded during the war. After the war he was involved in questions of reconstruction, customs duties, agreements and social and labour issues. On 1 June 1920 Vésier, Charles Marchal of the Banque Bauer/Marchal, and the Marquis
Georges de Crequi-Montfort Henri Georges Le Compasseur de Créqui-Montfort Marquis de Courtivron (27 September 1877 – 4 April 1966) was a French explorer, anthropologist, diplomat, businessman and sport shooter who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics and in the ...
formed a group that bought shares in the Berndorf metal factory of Arthur Krupp, which mainly worked with bronze and nickel. On 15 March 1923 the group sold the shares to the Österreichische Credit Anstalt. As of 1924 the CFM had a capital of 40 million francs. During discussions of the
Union des industries et métiers de la métallurgie The Union des industries et métiers de la métallurgie (Union of Metallurgies Industries or UIMM) is the largest sub-federation of the '' Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF)'', the French largest union of employers. Its current presiden ...
(UIMM) in 1934 Vesier as representative of the large metallurgical firms was in favour of complete freedom from state interference, while Maurice Olivier on behalf of the smaller metallurgical firms thought a small degree of state intervention was indispensable. Under Vésier there was an unusual lack of graduates of the
École Polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...
at CFM, apart from his second-in-command Émile Demenge. Vésier was president of the Chambre syndicale des Métaux, vice-president of the Group of Paris Region Metallurgical and Mechanical Industries, president or administrator of various chemical or metallurgical companies. He was on the board of the Société de Produits chimiques et électrométallurgiques, Société Alais, Froges et Camargue, and the Société Générale de Crédit Industriel et Commercial (CIC). In February 1934 Henri Thélier apologized to Vésier for recruiting him to the CIC board at a time when it was not earning money, with insufficient reserves and overvalued assets. Georges Vésier died on 6 November 1938 following a major operation at the age of 80. At the time of his death he was a member of the steering committee of the ''Revue de Métallurgie'', honorary president of the Chambre Syndicale des Métaux and president of the Compagnie Francaise des Métaux. After his death Georges Desbrière, Director General of the CFM, retained his post, but the managing director Émile Demenge resigned. Vésier was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour on 14 August 1900. He was promoted to Officer of the Legion of Honour on 24 November 1906. He was also a Knight of the Order of Leopold of Belgium. He was buried in the family tomb at the
Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures ...
.


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* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vesier, Georges 1858 births 1938 deaths French industrialists Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery