La Courneuve becomes an important industrial site at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to the railroad development in Northeastern Paris and the opening of the Aubervilliers – La Courneuve train station in 1885. The Mécano factory settles in La Courneuve in 1914. This factory is specialized in precision tools (taps, drill bits, reamers). Because they both have the same director, the Mécano factory will use the steal produced by the Johnson factory to make its tools.
The architecture of the Mécano factory building is similar to the American one, called “daylight factory”, with several levels and large glass-windows. This American architectural model, which spreads through Europe from 1860, is the total opposite of the French architecture constructing one-level buildings.
The Mécano factory employs 219 workers in 1915 and about three times more 20 years after. Yet, with the arrival of De Wendel, the factory closes a few years after in 1978.
Getting there
