The evolution of MARTIN

Sponsored by Martin Group
The evolution of MARTIN

Since it entered the pet accessories market in the late 1960s, MARTIN has become an internationally distributed brand known for its commitment to quality and animal welfare.

Founded in 1927 by Charles Martin, a native of Auvergne, the original company distributed accessories to hardware stores. In the 1960s, the business moved to the north of France and Charles’s son, René, opened and developed the first French manufacturing site for dog and cat accessories in Maubeuge in 1969.

Very quickly, the quality of the products made for a success, generating incredible results for the company then named René Martin. Flagship brand Cleps then changed to Martin Sellier and the famous ‘papillon’ symbol was adopted with the aim of reaching the international market. In 2000, saddlery production was moved to Tunisia.

After joining in 1994, Ludovic Deswarte took over the company in 2006. Deswarte brought significant expansion to the company, in particular thanks to the integration of many specialized players in the sector (including Les Laboratoires Héry, Vivog, Arka Hoak, Alter Ego, Dynavet and Sellerie Canine Vendéenne), the construction of a new 12,000 sq m logistics center and the implementation of high-performance management systems.

55 years after its creation, the company, now called MARTIN, boasts a complete offer with 13,000 product references to satisfy the needs of our four-legged friends, and makes quality and respect its priorities.

The butterfly brand

The MARTIN brand has forged a strong link with its logo, the butterfly, a figurative emblem of the 3 pillars of the company:

1 – The difference: If MARTIN doesn’t have a moustache, paw or dog logo, it’s to show its difference. This difference is reflected in its product offer, which is entirely designed in-house by stylists and designers. But it’s also reflected in the human relations with the company’s 144 employees and partners, customers and suppliers, with whom the search for a strong and lasting bond is always the order of the day.

2 – Respect for nature: If the butterfly evolves in the wild, MARTIN takes every precaution to preserve its ecosystem, which is also essential for dogs, cats and their owners. Thus, in each product development, the packaging, the materials and the product’s lifespan, get special attention from MARTIN’s product managers.

3 – Beauty: Colorful, majestic – the butterfly does not leave you indifferent. The design of MARTIN products is geared towards creating modern and trendy products. A look and style guaranteed for the animal, accessories with an incomparable finish, and furniture that can be easily integrated into the heart of our interiors.

These 3 pillars represented by the butterfly have allowed MARTIN to maintain the same trajectory through the years. This is an essential course of action to maintain the trust placed in them by the pet lovers.

Flying to the international market

MARTIN’s pet lovers can be found from the United States to Japan. Present in more than 53 countries, with a direct sales force in Italy, Spain and Belgium, it is through partner distributors and pet specialists in their country that MARTIN has chosen to distribute its entire assortment and to disseminate its advice. With a French brand and products where every detail, every finish, counts for the animal and its owner, the butterfly has been quickly adopted outside the borders of France.

A protective butterfly

However, France remains the biggest market for MARTIN. With 15.1 million cats and 7.5 million dogs, the butterfly easily finds its place on the harness, leash, cushion… of any household with an animal.

Unfortunately, the figures for this market are just as impressive when we look at the number of dropouts and acts of abuse. Today in France there a pet is abandoned every 2 minutes. A sad observation to which MARTIN is not insensitive. This is why for several years MARTIN has been involved with L’Arche des Associations, the first French federation that brings together organizations for the protection, mediation and defense of animals. Thanks to the Arche and all the French associations, in 2023 MARTIN was able to donate 52 tons of kibble, nearly 150,000 meals, accompanied by 11,000 accessories.

It is also through partners such as Asso Media, Lekkarod or Nosaïs, that MARTIN is committed to promoting the importance of dogs and cats for humans. Whether they act as mediators in specialist centers or as true friends of medicine in the context of disease detection, these animals are real treasures that MARTIN guarantees to support.

Even before the associative axis, MARTIN put the protection of dogs and cats at the heart of its product selection with the company taking action in the following areas:

  • 2010: an end to thermoplastic-based rubber toys
  • 2008: an end to pressed bones in Asia
  • 2023: an end to choke collars and electric collars

All these are strategic decisions that testify to the place of animal welfare at MARTIN.

Investing for them

With animal welfare holding such a place at MARTIN, its investments also bear witness to this.

In 2010, MARTIN set up a factory in Spain making toys exclusively of 100% natural rubber. The founder, Ramon Solà, who has travelled around the world and managed several rubber factories, settled in Catalonia and created the company with his wife in 1999. It was in discussions with his veterinary friends that Ramon created a formula for non- toxic toys. While many manufacturers add thermoplastic to rubber toys to save manufacturing time and therefore costs, MARTIN has decided to opt for a process that requires time but does not put dogs’ health at risk with a unique formula on the market to prevent all risks of intestinal obstruction.

In 2018, MARTIN launched into pet food. Nutrition has an undeniable impact on the health and well-being of the animal, which is why MARTIN has decided to select the best food manufacturers in the world. With quality raw materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing methods, the selected brands make it possible to offer a premium nutritional choice for our animals. To date, MARTIN offers the following brands: Orijen, Acana, Gosbi, Schésir, Terra Canis, Inaba and Earth Animal.

Since 2023, MARTIN has been investing in the Bach Flowers sector with the brand Velbecia. If gentle and natural treatments are effective for humans, adults, and children, they may be just as effective for our companions. The brand thus promotes education in treating pets with gentleness and sustainability, without the use of chemical products and without punitive behaviors, with the aim of ensuring the animal is respected.

MARTIN, the butterfly brand, surrounded by its employees, partners and experts (veterinarians, ethologists, educators, behaviorists, Bach flowers experts, groomers, breeders and more) has been soaring higher and higher since 1969. New projects and new investments are studied every year with one ultimate goal: to bring the best to dogs, cats and their owners.