Bodybuilding: Pallini, a Norman iron specialist who received support from the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics.

From Le Trait (Seine-Maritime), the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics may seem far away. Even a little abstract. And yet for the entire team of Pallini, whose historical headquarters is located in this commune on the banks of the Seine, these two events, on the contrary, are very specific.

Because for a French brand of weightlifting and bodybuilding equipment, created in 1992 by a cast iron-loving mechanic, these two events are big opportunities. The reliability of its products already makes it a benchmark in its field.

“In two or three years, we refocused on everything to do with physical fitness, even if we remain experts in the field of athletic strength,” recalls Jason Lorsche, a former professional hockey player for the Rouen Dragons. He joined the company at the turn of the 2020s to support Franck Collino, the weightlifter who, as coach of the French Olympic teams, led French athlete Vencelas Dabaye to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Each new seller is, first of all, an experienced athlete.

“The same year I bought Pallini, but we needed a second wind and new skills, especially commercial ones. This is what Jason brought,” says Frank Collino, who employs about twenty people, especially in his workshop. And every salesperson hired, like Mathieu Latard of the professional basketball world, is first and foremost a seasoned athlete, able to talk about high levels of performance before publishing his order book.

“Here we can create a five-legged sheep that meets the requirements of athletes or their coaches,” continues Franck Collino, who prides himself on the fact that almost all of his products are made in Normandy. Today, players from prestigious top 14 rugby teams such as Toulouse, La Rochelle or the Racing Club de France train at Pallini. “For us, these are shop windows, but also all the small associations or municipalities make us live,” recalls Jason Lorcher.

Clients include the French national rugby team and Olympic rowing teams.

With the prospect of hosting two major international sporting events, requests for strength training equipment have increased. “Today, high-level sports require very specific physical work. We will, for example, install the equipment on which the French rugby team players will train at their base camp in Rueil-Malmaison (Hauts-de-Seine). We also equipped the “base” Temple-sur-Lot (Lot-et-Garonne), where the Olympic training of rowing teams takes place, ”recalls Jason Lorsche.

“In general, 770 Olympic training centers will be equipped for the Olympic Games throughout France. For some, we have already begun to do so. Others are in progress. And we are negotiating with federations of volleyball, athletics or even judo,” announces leader Pallini.

A significant economic boost for a company that has already increased its turnover by 3.5 times in a few years, reaching 2.5 million euros in 2022. “The goal is to reach 5 million euros over the next four to five years. “The Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games should help them.