Henri Peruchon, the founder of CEC, passed away suddenly at his home in Saint-Tropez on 12 September 2024. Over the years, he built pools with Lopal Piscines in the 70s and created CEC in Lyon, one of the first pool and spa equipment distributors in France. When he retired, Loïc Biagini sought him out to launch EuroSpaPoolNews, a European website and magazines with international scope.
A forerunner in the pool sector has left us...
Henri Peruchon had just turned 84.
A trail blazer, the discoverer of new products, 'he had a flair', recalls his daughter Sylvie, for unearthing them before everyone else, and acquiring distribution rights, often exclusively. His method: going to trade fairs the day before opening, especially in the US, or visiting manufacturers a few days before new products were exhibited to the eyes of all professional visitors.
Back in Lyon, he would ensure promotion and distribution through magnificent photos, leaflets and a catalogue that was 'one of the largest in the profession'.
He was thus one of the first to distribute and participate in the improvement of the first Dolphin robots, as well as the spas he imported, not merely being satisfied with selling them but also improving them, by insulating the tanks, for example. He was also among the first to launch PPP synthetic resin panels...
A forerunner in communication, video, the organisation of seminars, etc., he left us starry-eyed with his show-business friends: Barclay, Collaro, etc., and treated us, during his conferences in Lyon, to the sound of Paul Bocuse's fairground organs at Collonges Abbey on the banks of the Saône.
In his free time in Saint-Tropez, he passionately launched petanque championships at the Place des Lices, as well as the Cigar Club...
Francis Allimant, Yves Hunckler and Henri Peruchon during the first Lyon fair
At the Lyon fair in 2018, a reunion between Henri Peruchon and Shimon Zelas, the first president of Maytronics, who established a collaboration with Henri in the 70s (Vincent Quéré in the centre).
Very early on, he was involved in the trade association, the FNCESEL at the time, for which he became one of the presidents.
In January 1990, it is to Henri Peruchon that we owe the birth of the major trade fair that we know in Lyon today, which he created with several professionals from the city, with Francis Allimant as the organiser (the first Lyon fair took place from 24 to 27 January 1990). Let's hope that he receives a heartfelt tribute at Piscine Global next November!
The EuroSpaPoolNews team is in mourning.
Loïc Biagini : 'In 2000, we applied his recipes by launching EuroSpaPoolNews with Henri Peruchon (after informing his daughter Sylvie of the project), a website and a magazine in several languages, which was unique in the pool and spa sector. We presented it for the first time in Lyon 24 years ago on 15 November 2000.
We invented everything with Henri: created its sections aboard planes and in hotel rooms, innovated with the distribution of our magazines in local languages, distributed them free at the entrance to all trade fairs, created the first newsletters in 8 languages, etc. I remember our trips together, the many kilometres treading the carpets of trade fairs in Stuttgart, Brighton, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Moscow, Shanghai, Beijing, and all over the world, not to mention the encounters and targeted meetings with the world's greatest manufacturers that he knew so well.
Henri Peruchon, always happy at trade fairs, here with Loïc Biagini at the Lyon fair in 2018
We spoke at length over the phone the day before he died, as we did during our regular telephone meetings. We spoke about everything, professionals, the market... and the latest robot that he was testing in his pool.
He asked me if I was going to the Lyon fair next November, where he wished to return once more. However, he was afraid of getting in the way and pronounced this sentence full of wisdom: 'You have to know how to take a back seat.'
The entire EuroSpaPoolNews and Special PROS team joins me in expressing our sincerest sympathy to his family, his wife Jacqueline, his daughter Sylvie and his grandson Jordan.
Tribute from the profession
'Goodbye my friend.
We knew each other for 50 years. What a long way we've come! At the time Henri came regularly to Saint Tropez, which is how I met him. He sold me two Mistral windsurfing boards. In 1975, we both created our businesses, CEC for him and Piscine Arrosage Lefebvre for me. Since then we have never lost sight of each other. Professionally speaking, I owe a great deal to Henri. He had a well-garnished address book, he knew everyone, and he never hesitated to open doors for me. For many years we met at the NSPI, the American pool fair. Atlanta, Washington, New Orleans, San Francisco... So many memories come to mind! One of his proudest achievements was to have created the Lyon Fair and EuroSpaPoolNews. When Henri sold his company, he moved permanently to Saint-Tropez, where he created his cigar club. So we met very often at the port for coffee in the morning!
Henri sought perfection in everything he did. You could say that he had quite a character, which could create friction. But his kindness and willingness to please largely outweighed his fiery temperament.
Whatever the situation, I could count on Henri, and that's the definition of a true friend.'
Philippe Lefebvre - Piscine Arrosage Lefebvre
'Henri PERUCHON brutally left us last Thursday. It is a formidable colleague, who I met in 1975 at the creation of CEC, who has just left us. Our trade association has also lost one of its former presidents, one of the pioneers of our profession to whom we owe the Lyon fair. But above all, I have lost a friend of 50 years, a bit like an elder brother whose opinions, even reprimands, I respected and with who we shared some wonderful moments. My dear Henri, the sound of your voice, the scent of your cigars, our lunches at 'Camille' or the 'Moorea' and a thousand other details of your personality will be sorely missed.'
Jean-Marc Latreille - - Former president of Groupe PROCOPI
'Henri PERUCHON: a pioneer of the pool sector. A natural elegance and a physique to match his knowledge of the stakeholders of the profession. A gentleman who helped me understand the demands of the industry. His voice will long resonate in the aisles of the Lyon fair. Goodbye Henri.'
Nathalie Avallet - Former director of the Lyon fair.
