C4CI, a new player in the field of advice on wooden structures

C4CI provides development engineering advice for timber construction systems

C4Ci is a young, innovative engineering consulting firm specializing in the development and marketing of timber construction products and systems. The company was founded in September 2008 in Strasbourg by two French engineers with international experience in timber and traditional construction: Frank Kupferlé (Civil Engineer from the Mining School) and Grégory Schubnel (DESS Civil Engineering from the University of Toulouse).

Both have adopted the consulting dimension as the guiding principle of their activity. Indeed, Frank Kupferlé and Grégory Schubnel, with their experience in the wood industry (particularly in I-beams, composite wood for structural use as well as technical approvals and certifications), have designed a structure capable of meeting all the needs of companies in the sector.

C4Ci: advice and tailor-made approach provided by specialists

C4Ci's field expertise, both in France and internationally, supports companies throughout the development stages of construction processes. Today, C4Ci works with manufacturers, builders, distributors, and government and local associations.

The company combines areas of expertise to deliver all types of services: market research, production, certification, tool and software design, marketing, and training. C4Ci is, above all, field experience, a unique blend of technical and commercial expertise, and an understanding of the daily challenges of its stakeholders in order to guide them through every stage of a project.

C4Ci builds a win-win partnership with the client by committing to the success of the mission and ensuring that it is properly executed before invoicing. As its director, Frank Kupferlé, points out: "You have to adapt to the clients and proceed step by step. The C4Ci approach adapts by proposing to move forward step by step."

Skills and references for a partnership with companies of all sizes and for all needs

It is with this philosophy in mind that C4Ci offers companies a variety of services and adapts to the industry's changing realities. The company provides tailored consulting services on a one-off basis or on a more regular basis for development projects:

- 2-3 day mission with visit, report and recommendation allowing the company to understand the environment in which it wishes to develop

- 8-10 day mission allowing a more in-depth study of the company and its strategy, combined with a market study

- longer missions on projects from previous missions

Some examples of missions carried out by C4Ci

Leader Charpentes, a manufacturer of open-web beams with a metal core, called on C4Ci in 2008 for a pre-audit in preparation for CE marking. "By putting themselves at our level, C4Ci allowed us to approach this process as an opportunity, not a constraint. We called on C4Ci because we didn't have the skills to move forward with certification," explains Jean Marie Rivière, co-manager of this company based in Sainte Hélène in Gironde. The company called on C4Ci again to assist with CE marking and the development of its new product offering.

France Poutres, a Vendée-based manufacturer responsible for the first French I-beam to obtain CE marking, has placed its trust in C4Ci for its development efforts. C4Ci provides ongoing consulting services in all areas related to the development of France Poutres' activities. This partnership has enabled greater flexibility and competitiveness in the development of new tools. "C4Ci's engineers understand our challenges and, while providing their outside perspective, help us structure our solution offering," says Olivier Chapeau, Sales and Development Director at France Poutres.

Silverwood consulted C4Ci as part of the implementation of a new offering and for the development of technical sales materials (technical guides on the use of I-beams, pre-dimensioning software tool). With the help of C4Ci, the development time for these tools was halved! In addition, a training program for design technicians, particularly in Eurocodes, was implemented thanks to C4Ci. According to Thomas Lelièvre, Sales Manager at Silverwood: "Without C4Ci's very high-quality and timely technical assistance, we would not have been able to rebuild our timber construction systems engineering business in 6 months."

Company contact

C4Ci: Frank Kupferle

Tel: 03 68 41 80 00

E-mail: Frank.kupferle@c4ci.eu

Press contacts

COM4: Elodie CHESNEL and Françoise DUBOIS

Tel: 02 40 73 50 51

E-mail: echesnel@com-4.fr / fdubois@com-4.fr