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Lowcountry rings true for bell company
By Kathleen Dayton
Staff Writer
What better place than the Holy City for a newly launched business that provides a centuries-old product—church bells.
Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries, founded earlier this year by Stan Christoph, is the U.S. affiliate of Paccard Fonderie des Cloches, a family-owned company that has been casting bronze bells in Annecy, France, since 1796.
While the bell foundry remains in France, Christoph Paccard will handle sales, installation and service of the company’s bells throughout the United States from its headquarters on Johns Island.
Christoph formerly worked for the van Bergen Co., another company that handled the sales and service of Paccard bells before van Bergen was sold about 10 years ago.
Philippe Paccard, the seventh-generation director of Paccard Fonderie des Cloches, said Christoph offers his company a wealth of experience.
“He is recognized as an expert nationally in the field of cast bronze bell instrument design and consulting,” Paccard said. “We are definitely sharing the same values.”
Having a new business partner in the United States will help Paccard grow the company, particularly in the area of new products such as small, unique bells that can be inscribed and purchased by individuals or organizations. Some individuals are already purchasing small bells for their gardens or as memorial gifts, including one small bell given recently to a mission church in Mexico.
The smaller bells, known by the Latin name “campa nuna,” may eventually be manufactured on Johns Island, Christoph said.
“When the sales volume warrants, we will invest in the equipment and technology and begin casting bells at our location here to serve the American market,” Christoph said. “I think that we both have the sense that this market is a tremendous and untapped market. These are very high quality bells that can be customized.”
The Internet is becoming an important marketplace for such bells, Paccard said, and he expects the Web to help the company grow sales. Another new concept for the company is the creation of bells to supplement an art form, such as a sculpture or monument.
Known as “ars sonora,” the concept incorporates bells into works of art that can be placed in public parks, squares and other outdoor spaces to create a special atmosphere.
“It’s been quite successful in Japan and we hope to be successful with this concept in the United States,” Paccard said.
Paccard’s liaison with Christoph will also help the company’s core business of casting large bronze bells. He believes that what he calls the “traditional church market” is stronger in the United States today than it is in Europe, he said.
“In Europe, this is a decreasing market because of the lack of believers,” Paccard said. “Churches are emptying in Europe, and most of them are already equipped. The traditional market is in better shape here than in Europe because there are more believers in the United States. I’m thinking of the Bible Belt.”
Paccard was in Charleston June 18 to meet with his new business partner and plan strategies for the company, which has a unique set of challenges.
“It’s really a niche market, a small market worldwide, making products that last for centuries,” Paccard said. “Bells that were cast in 1796 are still ringing every day. Being able to keep this knowledge is really valuable. The challenge is being able to get enough work so you keep the people inside the company, being able to pass the know-how to the next generation.”
A number of Lowcountry churches already peal with bells made by Paccard, including St. James Episcopal Church on James Island, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Grace Episcopal Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church downtown. Paccard created new treble bells for The Citadel and also for a fraternity tower on the campus of the College of Charleston.
The company’s latest installation was at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer off Savannah Highway in Avondale, where four cast-bronze bells were dedicated June 10. The $32,000 project was paid for primarily through a large gift, said Thomas J. White, director of music.
“The original gift was $25,000 and we were able to raise the rest,” White said. “People love giving money for bells because they last forever and it’s something really tangible.”
The church’s new bells chime every quarter hour and can be pealed in different ways for a variety of special occasions, including weddings, as well as prior to Sunday services.
While many churches today are investing heavily in audio visual equipment and electronic sound systems to support music for non-traditional services, Paccard believes there will always be a market for cast-bronze bells that have been made the same way for centuries.
“I think there are always people who will want something truly authentic,” he said.
Christoph said his company currently has eight sales and service representatives working around the country. The company also plans to do on-site casting of small bells, a performance of sorts that is already taking place with audiences in France.
“The idea is to create a special event,” Paccard said. “It can be done for a city, for an association or for a company to commemorate a special event. We want to show people the process, including the pouring of the bronze into the mold. We have done that in France and we have had a lot of success.”
Paccard’s liason with Christoph means that he will be a frequent traveler between Charleston and Annecy, two places that he feels have a few things in common.
“I’m in love with the city of Charleston, and I hope we can be successful with all of these new ideas,” Paccard said. “In some ways, Charleston has roots and is linked with Europe. It is probably the one place in the whole United States that can welcome this tradition better than anywhere else.”
Kathleen Dayton is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail her at kdayton@charlestonbusiness.com.
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