Our history

Having escaped from the horrors of the french revolution in 1789,  Rose BUFFET married Jean Jacques HEROUARD on 09/06/1800 at La Couture Boussey. Their son,  Jacques François HEROUARD, luthier, instrument manufacturer, emigrated to Ezy sur Eure. The La Couture Boussey area, in addition to the village, also comprised the villages of  Ezy sur Eure, Ivry la Bataille, Garennes sur Eure was considered as the French birthplace of wind instruments.

Their grandson, Alfred HEROUARD, luthier, was born on 09/02/1866 , and developed the manufacture of clarinet ligatures. He died young leaving his wife to bring up their two sons. As a female company director, quite unique for the time, she managed the company.

Her elder son, Pierre HEROUARD, born  in 1901, an aviation enthusias,, soon left the Farman company and set up  SNC HEROUARD FRERES following by the SNC HEROUARD PIERRE. This ingenious enterprise and improved the manufacturer of not only clarinet ligatures, but also those of saxophones. He designed a “cover”(to protec the fragile reed positioned in the mouthpiece) which was subsequently to be called the “cap”. Their customers, manufacturers of instruments or mouthpieces were in the surrounding villages, in the capital, and after the 2nd world war, in the United States and Japan

Claudine HEROUARD, his dauhter, married Marcel BENARD in 1946. With the support of his wife he turned the company into SARL HEROUARD & BENARD. The company was modernised and prospered.

After the death of her father in 1988, Michelle BENARD, left the legal profession, in order to ensure the continuity of the business and develop the international market

Her son Robin CHEVRETEAU, a science graduate, took over the reins of the  company.  In 2007 he purchased the pad production business of the   MARTIN-CHANU company(a subsidiary of BUFFET) and set up  the RC TAMPONS MUSIQUE company. In 2009,  HEROUARD & BENARD purchased the business side of the “LEBAYLE” brand for the production of straps, harnesses, Bee bops, mouthpiece cushions,etc… 

To day we are the only surviving company of the french woodwind instruments industry, still in the hands of the founding family.Aujourd’hui, 

The family current vocation is not only to maintain and develop the company, but also to promote musical events in this region with its long musical tradition (local communities have fair-sized orchestras) and the family is behind the inception of the Ezy sur Eure jazz festival and encourages the formation of children’s orchestras

In 1827, a young lady 27-year old woman, founded a small clarinet pad manufacturing business. Her name was Valentine CHANU.Her production sold was very well in the local musical instruments region.Business prospered, especially the export market

In 1946, her son Maurice took over the reins of the company.

Roger CHANU succeeded and married  Madeleine MARTIN, a descendent of Claude BUFFET born in 1773, brother of Rose BUFFET a  forebear of HEROUARD & BENARD family.

In 2007, Robin CHEVRETEAU, along with HEROUARD & BENARD company purchased the pad manufacturing branch  of  MARTIN CHANU  company and created The RC TAMPONS MUSIQUE company.