In 1847, Auguste Cattaert, the grandfather of Maurice Thuasne, created the company “Cattaert et Compagnie”, specialising in the sale and distribution of ribbons made in Saint-Etienne. In 1900, the company received an award at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, illustrating its dynamism and capacity to innovate even back then. Maurice Thuasne took over at the helm of the company in 1914. He went on to lead a shift in focus towards medical products between the two wars, a strategy that would guarantee the company’s independence. The Biflex and Néoplastex trademarks were registered in 1932.