“The product is really modern, it's environmentally friendly, it lasts a long time, and it's associated with good food,” explains Frédéric Sallé, director of the Le Creuset production site. After 100 years in business, the company continues to manufacture its kitchenware at its factory in Fresnoy le Grand, in the Aisne department of France. And it's doing well: 95% of its products are now sold outside France, in more than 80 countries. “We're extremely proud to still be in France after 100 years (...) It's local expertise, with artisans here who are passionate about what they do, and that's something you can't export,” says Marie Gigot, the company's managing director for France and Benelux. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES