On May 13, 2025, Technical Director El Mustapha Azelmad and Sales and marketing assistant Patricia Brand from JUKI Central Europe, French branch, pushed the door of an establishment and service for assistance through work (ESAT), in Chennevières (94).
Les ateliers de Chennevières is one of eight ESATs run by the Fondation des Amis de l'Atelier, a major activity in supporting people with psychological or mental disabilities or autism in France.
In figures, the Foundation is in 2024:
- 100 establishments, services and facilities in Ile-de-France and Haute-Vienne,
- 4,000 people with disabilities cared for
- 2,000 professionals
Since its origins in the late 50s, the Foundation has always been convinced that every person has an inherent richness that can be revealed in the right environment.
It was a great occasion that they are here to meet Sophie Boillot, manager and head instructor of the leather goods, cutting and stitching workshop, and her team.
It's a workshop made up of 19 workers, 3 instructors and 1 main instructor, which in addition to its traditional leatherwork activity has developed an Upcycling activity over the last ten years, giving a second life to recycled materials. Upcycling is another way in which the JUKI group is contributing to a sustainable society. In its ‘ECO MIND Declaration’, the group's environmental philosophy is resolutely respectful, with commercial actions, decisions and manufacturing oriented towards environmental objectives.
Sophie Boillot tells them that in this workshop, "the know-how is based on 30 years' experience, where adaptation is perpetual and production non-linear. There are real customers (industrial groups, local authorities, tourism, luxury and recycling companies, etc.), real production and real deadlines. You can sense in this woman a real commitment, an unfailing determination and a vital energy that is essential to the place.
After graduating from a Management School, her career path immersed her early in the world of leather goods. A world that fascinated her, which brought her into the field for 21 years as manager and manufacturer of a company creating and manufacturing bags and fashion accessories for major brands. In 2009, after the ups and downs of the trade, the position of leather goods workshop manager came naturally to her. Her major assets are her expertise in leather goods, a strong sense of professionalism and, of course, the human element at the heart of the creative process.
And in this workshop, a team of workers with mental, psychological or autistic disabilities who are offered opportunities for work-related activities as well as medical and social support, making it anything but an ordinary workshop, ‘an extraordinary workshop’ as Sophie Boillot likes to say with a certain pride. ‘Here, too, we recruit, train, assess, supervise, share common projects and everyone contributes their bit to the edifice.’
Everyone is passionate and exciting. Each with their own story. Whether they're veterans or newer, whatever their disability or professional background, everyone works together, and the instructors are there to support them whenever they need it.
This workshop also has its own brand “x-eko”, which gives it an identity and recognition and validates the origin of its work. X-eko of course stands for ex aequo, equal, on the same rank, to remind us that disabled people are entitled to the same opportunities and the same respect as able-bodied people.
Their range of machines includes Juki sewing machines, as well as machines from other manufacturers. Flat bed, lockstitch, cylinder bed sewing machines, overlock machines.
This presence leads Elmustapha Azelmad and Patricia Brand to talk about automatic sewing which could be interesting for the productions which are carried out in Chennevières: bags, luggage, pouches, pencil cases, wallets, notebooks, smartphone cases, professional equipment etc… Because the ESAT offers a wide range of leather goods.
An automatic sewing machine would not replace the work of one person, but it could increase the speed of certain seams, such as cross stitching on bags or straps, and would provide a different approach to the job. job. A more technical approach with programming and automation for those in the team who appreciate high technology. The workshop instructors agree that a person with a high capacity for memorizing, focusing or visual reflection, with particular attention to detail in the case of an autistic disorder in particular, could find in a programmable sewing machine a more suitable working tool. There would no longer be any need to stand behind a machine for long periods, and this could be a significant improvement in working conditions.
The tour ends with a desire to provide technical support to Les Amis de l’Atelier by organizing a visit to the Juki France premises in Rueil-Malmaison in the near future for Sophie Boillot and some of her employees. This will be an opportunity for our technical engineers to demonstrate them the potential of our PLK automatic sewing machines, which will allow the instructors to explore their implementation in their manufacturing process.
Juki members would like to thank Sophie Boillot for her warm welcome and the time she and her team were kind enough to give them to produce this report.
Joyce, a young woman of 22, smiling and determined, was kind enough to tell us about her career path.
Trained as a graphic designer, she nevertheless wants to work with her hands. A work placement in a leather goods repair workshop gave her the opportunity. She liked the job, and leatherwork even more. Joyce decided to change direction and enrolled in the “leather goods section” on a work-study contract with “the Compagnons du Devoir”. She wanted to do her work experience in a leather goods workshop, but her disability caught up with her. A disability that was invisible to most people, but which would sideline her from obtaining this work-study placement. In France, having an MDPH file (Maison départementale des personnes handicapées) is still an obstacle to recruitment for an employer who prefers to pay a contribution rather than meet the obligation to employ disabled workers. It's hard to say whether it was the job of leatherworker that was an obstacle in itself... The objective of achieving a 6% employment rate for disabled workers had probably already been achieved... But this is yet another blow to an already complicated career! The disability made the difference on this point, “the little extra something” did not appeal!
Joyce, having failed her internship, was unable to continue her training with “Les Compagnons du Devoir” . The association did not support her either.
Shortly afterwards, in a letter from the MDPH, she received details of the Atelier de Maroquinerie de L’ESAT de Chennevières, which she visited, and after 2 convincing trainings there, she was finally recruited.
The ESAT will probably act as a springboard in his professional career and give her every opportunity, but the path for a disabled person to integrate a professional career in the so-called ‘ordinary’ environment remains complex. Companies still need to change the way they look at things, and prioritize people, whoever they may be. Luxury companies have the resources to do just that. In France, sales of leather goods will reach 3.5 billion euros in 2023! A sector that is doing rather well in a difficult economic climate. Let's hope that Joyce, with the expertise she will acquired thanks to the foundation, will be able to realize her dream of one day working for a major luxury leather goods brand without discrimination. Juki team wishes her every success!