Revisiting Bernard after a five-year absence, this editor was curious to see if the goals of growth that Bernard had set for themselves had been reached. The answer is a resounding yes. As the president of the company, Mr Etienne Bernard, explained in a frank interview: "We have transformed an internationally exporting company into a global group serving the actuator market throughout the world". There is a saying in business that standing still is the same as going backwards. This certainly cannot be applied to Bernard, the well-known manufacturer of electric actuators, which has been implementing carefully orchestrated growth plans for a number of years. Having developed from a family business to an international company by the turn of the century, Bernard has continued to grow with turnover up by a massive 50% since the year 2000. "There is no magic secret behind our success," opens Mr Bernard. "All we do is understand and then fulfil customers' expectations. We create and manufacture products that people will want to use. Today, Bernard is a group comprising eight separate companies, providing worldwide reach. Wherever the market, we are one step ahead of the business." These eight companies, comprising both manufacturing and sales, provide global coverage for Bernard's key markets: water and environment, oil and gas, power generation, and industrial applications and shipbuilding. Mr Bernard: "Whatever the customer's needs, we have an electric actuator to suit. Be it a standard or a special, with ATEX certification or according to NEMA standards, for use in artic climates or the desert, we make rugged items that are built to last."
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