A History of Somfy – Engineered to Last

Somfy’s humble origins and rich traditions have helped shape the company and provided a framework for Somfy’s values and practices today.

Read on to discover our history and understand our legacy of automated products that are made to last.

It All Started in the Arve Valley

The beautiful Arve Valley twists with its river from Chamonix in France to Geneva in Switzerland before joining the Rhine’s journey to the North Sea.

Somfy was born in this valley, in the French town of Cluses. Back in 1750, the Arve was already renowned for its craftsmen, making parts for the Swiss watchmaking masters in Geneva.

In later years, a clock-making college was established in Cluses, on the banks of the Arve. An Italian watchmaker and inventor named Louis Carpano attended the college in 1851 and, impressed by Cluses’ skilled artisans and industrial technology, Carpano decided to move back and set up shop in 1868. He founded a company to produce and sell watch gears, milling machines, and watchmaker’s tools to the local craftsmen. 

Carpano & Pons

The small company, which came to be known as Carpano & Pons, thrived and grew as its reputation spread up and down the Arve.

The vision of the company broadened over the decades and they ended up patenting numerous creations: everything from an early electric shaver to taxi meters to electric windshield wipers. In fact, they are best known today not for watch gears but fishing rods. Their famous ‘Mitchell 300’ rod was the cornerstone on which the Mitchell Fishing Rod Company was built.

Somfy began as a subsidiary of Carpano & Pons and its creation marked the birth of the home motorisation. 

Tubular

In 1960, demand for precision tools – still the core of Carpano & Pons’ business – was in decline. The director at the time, Phillipe Zoellner, wanted to find a new business opportunity that would secure the company’s future. In his search, he discovered that a local awning and roller shutter manufacturer had a vision for powered awnings and was looking for a company to build him a prototype.

Carpano & Pons were the only company to come forward. Their leve store (lift awning in English) was such a success that a subsidiary company was created, dedicated to motorised blind and shutter technology. The name of this subsidiary was Societe d’Outillage Mecanique du Faucigny (Mechanical Tooling Society of Faucigny), abbreviated to SOMFY. By 1969, Somfy had become a separate company dedicated to powered products for the home, with subsidiaries in both France and Sweden. 

Automatic for the People

The next big piece of the Somfy puzzle fell into place in 1981 with the creation of the first automatic controls for their powered awnings and blinds. It was a small box that could automatically adjust awnings based on the weather conditions. This creation spelt the beginning of home automation as we know it today and, since the 80s, Somfy has become a global force.

As of 2015, Somfy has put down roots in almost 60 countries on five continents and has 114 subsidiary companies with almost 8 000 employees and more than 158 million motors produced. The basis for Somfy’s continuing success remains the same as ever: a commitment to excellent, ongoing innovation, and great service.

Join the Story

Welcome this rich tradition into your home and become part of the Somfy story with our world-leading home automation systems. Find your closest retailer today.