Société d’Electro-Chimie d’Ugine, formally the Société d’électrochimie, d’électrométallurgie et des aciéries électriques d’Ugine (SECEMAEU), was one of France’s leading metallurgical companies before its merger with the Établissements Kuhlmann and later Pechiney to form Pechiney Ugine Kuhlmann (PUK). The company traces its origins to 1903, when engineer Paul Girod founded his enterprise in Ugine, and to the 1922 merger that created SECEMAEU.[1]
Design and History
Gabor, a graphic artist and typographer who settled in Paris in 1956, is known to have designed logos and marks for French companies during his career in France from 1956 to 1992.[2][3]
Gabor’s son, Peter Gabor, who collaborated with his father for twenty years and later managed the Typogabor studio, has documented that Paul Gabor produced “several logos and illustrations for brands like Uginox (the Wheel)” during his French period.[4] Uginox is a stainless steel brand associated with the Ugine industrial group, now a trademark of Aperam.[5] This connection suggests Gabor did work for the Ugine group’s brands, though the specific 1966 SECEMAEU logo described in unverified sources could not be independently confirmed.
The company’s corporate identity evolved through successive mergers. After the 1971 merger with Kuhlmann and the subsequent union with Pechiney, the group operated under the Pechiney Ugine Kuhlmann name, with trademark registrations for “LOGO PECHINEY UGINE KUHLMANN” filed in 1979.[6] The Ugine operations were later acquired by Usinor-Sacilor in 1991 and became Ugitech, which was sold to Schmolz + Bickenbach in 2006.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
No documented symbolism for a Société d’Electro-Chimie d’Ugine logo could be verified from primary sources. The Uginox mark described by Peter Gabor as “the Wheel” is the only Ugine-related symbol with a documented attribution to Paul Gabor, though its specific design meaning is not explained in available sources.[4]
Typography and Design
Paul Gabor was recognized for his achievements in logo and emblem design and typography, having designed logos for major Hungarian companies before emigrating to France.[3] In France, he later designed a corporate alphabet for the Banque de la Hénin and, in 1983, was commissioned by the French state to create a visual identity for the French Republic.[2] However, no specific typographic details for a Ugine logo could be verified.
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