About us

Jean ROSSIGNOL (1867-1933) establishes a sawmill in Argentré-du-Plessis (35) to use, outside the harvest season, his steam engine intended to operate threshers in the region of Vitré. After the 1914-18 war, Jean ROSSIGNOL equips himself with circular saws and builds a stable for the 21 horses which skid and transport wood from the forests of the region.

Alfred ROSSIGNOL (1910-1981) joins his father and develops the sawmill by diversifying it into the manufacture of wood flooring and poplar crates for vegetable producers and egg traders such as Bridel. Alfred ROSSIGNOL also does transport with his trucks which will gradually replace horses.

René ROSSIGNOL (1936-2015) joins his father to manufacture, in the old stables building, standardized flushtype doors. He starts by making 15 doors a day.

The production is at 220 doors per day and in 1968, following consecutive constructions, the factory covers an area of ​​5,000 m² and produces 2,800 doors a day. An annex plant is created in Le Pertre, near Argentré-du-Plessis, to manufacture door sets, entrance doors and garages.

Visionary and pioneer
L’HEXAGONE is created and installed in a small building René ROSSIGNOL buys in La Guerche-de-Bretagne. It becomes the first French company to manufacture “honeycomb” in cardboard paper, initially intended to line the interior of flushtype doors and plasterboard-type drywall. Production starts with 5 people.

Honeycomb cardboard takes off
René ROSSIGNOL leaves the family business in Argentré-du-Plessis to devote himself exclusively to his company L’HEXAGONE in La Guerche-de-Bretagne and to honeycomb cardboard.

René ROSSIGNOL builds a production line of honeycomb cardboard panels to primarily manufacture with this new material pallets, load distributors and dividers for industry, bands for the storage and transport of flat glass, cushion shock absorbers for the dropping and parachuting of military equipment and vehicles.

New machines are developed for the manufacturing of custom honeycomb cardboard packaging and cushioning, and varied components and containers for the industry. The company’s capacity for innovation is recognized in 1984 and 1986 with an Oscar de l’Emballage.

François ROSSIGNOL (1968-) joins his father, starting in the design office and then contributing to the implementation of L’HEXAGONE’s integrated system.

René ROSSIGNOL restarts a paper mill in Saint-Michel-de-Castelnau (33). This plant, Les Papeteries du Ciron, will subsequently supply part of L’HEXAGONE with raw materials until the end of 2011.

François ROSSIGNOL takes over the company.

The grouping of production workshops and offices is carried out on a single facility near the historic site, thus streamlining the production and organization of the company.

L’HEXAGONE invests on numerous occasions to consistently modernize its production equipment and processes. The three-phase honeycomb cardboard production method has been replaced by a new automated production tool allowing for this production in a single operation. Modernization and automation of the production line of honeycomb cardboard panels to increase its productivity and manufacturing possibilities, thus making it possible to significantly increase the capacity and product offer of the company. L’HEXAGONE is expanding its presence in neighboring countries and confirming its position as a leading European player in the field of honeycomb cardboard packaging.

A new setting for tomorrow
Since the beginning of 2020 and at the dawn of its fifty years, L’HEXAGONE has been carrying out a major industrial project in the construction of a new building to accommodate its means of production as well as new facilities for its office-based teams. In both cases, these constructions meet the best current environmental requirements and from January 2021 will offer all teams in France a more comfortable and functional modern working environment.