Imagine, its 1972, and a group of 20 or so friends are searching for a common project that will provide both work and a certain way of life. The group decides to purchase an old mill that has fallen into ruins. They renovate the mill bit by bit so that their families can move in and live there together as a commune. The adventure begins with screen printing and craft items (lamps, jewellery, decorative items . . . ).
Two products changed the course of Moulin Roty. Firstly, a small car made of wood, foam and fabric which proves an enormous success at the different trade shows and markets where it is shown.
Secondly, ‘la douillette’, a soft rag doll, which seduces everyone by its originality. An order for 1500 small cars propels the Moulin Roty Workshop onto the toy and nursery markets.
Moulin Roty go on to launch an entire collection derived from the small fabric car. The fabric rocking toys are launched in 1975 and prove to be a huge success…
At the outset, the Moulin Roty Workshop specialised in decorative items. It then went on to children’s and nursery rooms and launched wooden paintings, height charts, clocks as well as small stack-up wooden toys.
To ensure the development and the durability of the company, the founding members adopt the status of a cooperative. Even today, this status allows them to conserve the founding values of the brand : solidarity, sharing and respect.
A fire destroyed the entire workshop leaving nothing in its wake. The designs, stock, files and machines were completely lost. Moulin Roty moved to Nort sur Erdre, 15 kilometres away and decided to begin from scratch. This new start also gave added importance to the design and sales aspects of the company. The latter kept its status as a cooperative but became a public limited company (SA) in 1991.