"Little Beam" offers "comfortable, portable, and versatile" nursing pillows. At its helm is Guillaume Le Courtois, originally from Cotentin (Manche).
Guillaume Le Courtois is at the helm of the American company 'Little Beam'. (©Document provided to La Presse de la Manche)
Having been settled in the United States for 13 years, Guillaume Le Courtois embarked on a new venture since January: 'I acquired the company Little Beam,' explains the Cotentin native (Manche).
After spending years in the diplomatic corps in Belgium, on the African continent, and in the United States, he says, 'I saw an opportunity, and I seized it.
Developed by a doctor
At the time, the American lactation specialist, Dr. Kathleen McCue, 'was already developing a dedicated nursing pillow, but she was devoting all her time to mothers and babies, and the product was not fully developed. So, I went for it,' details Guillaume Le Courtois.
Thus, since January 2023, the Franco-American entrepreneur manages 'different suppliers, the design workshop, and partnerships,' he enumerates, proud to collaborate with major American childcare and infant brands that distribute his innovative product.
A product designed to be easier to use
"It is indeed smaller than the ones currently known, hence more affordable (€45) and easier to transport and use," boasts the Cotentin native. "Breastfeeding mothers just need to sit down, prop it on their hip and arm, and place the baby on it for them to latch on," he continues while demonstrating.
This approach is winning over customers, as he calculates, "1,500 units have been sold since I took over the company."
The 'Made in America' aspect is also a significant advantage, as he says, "everything is American-made: the idea, the raw materials, and the assembly." Although he admits, "some aspects are also done in Mexico, where Maximilien, a young person I met in the FIM group, manages the product development with a Mexican who produces wooden molds into which latex can be directly injected to achieve the right shape, a way to eliminate four steps from the process and save time.
The product will be available in France
Another ongoing change for the company is the sales area: 'We will be launching in France; for now, only our French social media networks are up, but it's coming soon.' Artem, another young person Guillaume Le Courtois met in the FIM group, manages 'the brand development in France' from Granville. And things have been thought through to the smallest details, as the entrepreneur jokes, 'I am from Normandy, so I launched the brand in France... on June 6th!'".
A second life
And to conclude, Guillaume Le Courtois wants to emphasize: 'Yes, it's for breastfeeding, but it can be passed down among children if families have several, and most importantly, it can be used as a neck pillow on the plane or as a backrest for the elderly.' As proof of this, he gave a copy to his father, also from Cotentin, 'for his back on the sofa'
Link to article :
https://actu.fr/economie/cotentin-il-rachete-et-dirige-une-entreprise-aux-etats-unis_59910499.html