Our story
Over a century of expertise.
Founded in Nantes in 1878 by the LEMER family, LEMER Foundry has established itself as a specialist in low-melting-point alloys. Today, it is one of the last remaining lead foundries in France and employs more than 60 people across two sites in the Nantes region.
Every day, its teams uphold the values that are the strength and foundation of the company :
trust, collaboration, and agile expertise.
Trust
At LEMER Foundry, trust is much more than just a word : it is the foundation of all our relationships. We believe in mutual trust — the trust we place in our employees, our customers, and our subcontractors.
Trust cannot be decreed ; it is built day after day. It stems from transparency, respect for commitments, and the quality of the work accomplished. It is a fragile value that is earned over time and can be lost in an instant.
Collaboration
Collaboration is at the heart of the LEMER Foundry spirit. It is the collective strength that drives us forward together, uniting our skills and ideas to make each project grow.
Collaborating means supporting an idea, an improvement, or a common goal. It also means enjoying getting involved, contributing, and helping to achieve collective success.
It is this mutual support, this desire to work together, that makes the difference and fuels our pride in belonging.
Agile expertise
LEMER Foundry has always cultivated agile expertise. This agility is our ability to adapt, innovate, and progress without ever compromising on the technical standards that have built our reputation.
Over the years, we have successfully evolved our business, explored new strategic areas, and risen to the challenges of our sector. Our expertise is based on experience, but it is also fueled by curiosity, flexibility, and open-mindedness.
Practicing agile expertise means combining mastery and adaptability : knowing where we come from while being ready to reinvent ourselves.
An industrial heritage
A pioneer in the art of materials processing and a trailblazer in modern manufacturing methods and techniques, Louis-François LEMER paved the way for new applications for lead in France and abroad. His expertise left its mark on sectors as diverse as industry, nuclear power, security seals, and fishing.
More than five generations later, driven by research, experimentation, and innovation, LEMER Foundry has established itself as one of Europe's leaders in lead and its derivatives. It has tirelessly developed a multitude of processes that have become global benchmarks.
Expanding expertise : the DEJOIE adventure.
In 1988, the group expanded with the integration of DEJOIE, a company specializing in aluminum casting. DEJOIE continues to manufacture lead seals. Since 1949 — the year of its first contract with the French postal service — DEJOIE has also been producing aluminum mailboxes for French and foreign postal services (Morocco, Algeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, etc.), as well as for town halls, government agencies, and private individuals.
Some key dates
LEMER Foundry in numbers
- 60 employees
- € 10 million in annual revenue
- 1,000 tons of lead and alloys processed per year
- 2 production sites : Carquefou et Le Loroux-Bottereau
- From 1g to 50 tons : weight of parts produced