This year, renowned French hook giant, VMC®, celebrates its 100th anniversary of creating the world's finest fish hooks. VMC is proud to have sustained hook production at its factory in France for 100 years, but interestingly enough, the VMC family did not set out to make fish hooks. They were reeled into the fishing industry by a rival brand.
Dating back to 1796, the family of Viellard-Migeon created a company and a tradition of manufacturing the highest quality steel products such as wires, screws and bolts. That same year, the Viellard family appointed Jean-Baptiste Migeon as manager of its steel forge. In 1835, Jean Baptiste's daughter married Juvenal Viellard. With this marriage, their initials were combined (V. - Viellard, M. - Migeon, and C. for company) to form VMC.
At the beginning of the 1900s in Europe, the two families shared a common industrial thread and close relations. VMC® produced wires, screws, nuts and bolts, while the other family, among other goods, produced high-quality fishing hooks. By mutual agreement, neither would sell in the other's markets.
But 1910 marked the dawn of a new era of competition. VMC's counterpart expanded their business and began to sell nuts and bolts on VMC's home soil in France. This decision fueled Charles Viellard to step-up the competition in turn and to diversify VMC's metalworking experience into fish hook manufacturing, the other family's specialty.
Ten British families from the hub of the UK's needle-making and fishing tackle industries were moved to France to help set up VMC's new fish hook department. Thus the VMC family began to produce fish hooks, setting the stage to see which family could produce the highest quality of fish hook.
The first VMC hooks were 100 percent handcrafted, utilizing one specific machine or tool for each stage of manufacturing, which produced a quality of hook that was unmatched.
VMC today: capturing business hook, line and sinker
Today, VMC produces 4 million hooks per day, with machines running around the clock to fill the demand. The company exports 70 percent of its hooks around the world.
"VMC's success has been made possible by years of experience and our ability to continue to develop and innovate in the market," said Stanislas de Castelnau, president and managing director of VMC. "But even more important is the savoir-faire of the people making our hooks."
VMC has consistently led the industry in treble hook design. The Needle Cone Point and the Cone Cut Point are just two of its world-famous designs. The Fastgrip triple mini-barb pattern was a world first. The company was also among the first to use Vanadium, a steel alloy for hook production.
VMC's success story doesn't stop there. In November 2000, Rapala - the world's leading brand of fishing lures - joined forces with VMC. Today, the vast majority of Rapala and Respected Rapala Brands lures are equipped with VMC treble hooks, delighting anglers and helping them reel in the big ones wherever water exists on the globe.
"VMC's 100th anniversary is an exciting milestone," said Tom Mackin, president of Rapala U.S.A. "Their superior-quality product and innovation will continue to set the benchmark in fish hook design and production."
For more information, please visit
www.vmchooks.com.
