France reacted with shock today to the accidental death of Edouard Michelin, the head of the world's largest tyre maker regarded as one of the icons of French industry for more than a century.
Michelin, 43, one of France's youngest business leaders, was drowned in a boating accident off the Brittany coast during a fishing trip on Friday, leaving six children. "France has lost a very great company leader," Laurence Parisot, head of the MEDEF employers' group told French radio.
The impact of Michelin's death resonated far beyond the business world and featured heavily in weekend news reports. It prompted a stream of tributes from politicians, led by President Jacques Chirac as well as Michelin workers in Clermont-Ferrand, the town in central France where the company has been based for over a century.
"French business is in mourning, Clermont is in mourning," Chirac said during a state visit to Chile. The local rugby team, set up by the Michelin family in 1911, wore black armbands for their match on Saturday.
"He often used to come in to talk to us and I personally liked him very much. He was a good boss," said Alain, who works in Michelin's Formula One division and who gave no last name. The shock of Michelin's death reflected not just his own position in business but also the special place the company holds in the French imagination.
Set up in 1889 by Edouard's great grandfather, Michelin has grown into a company employing some 127,000 people and which produced 197 million tyres last year. In the process, it has become part of French history.
Its rotund "Michelin Man" mascot forms one of the world's best-known global trademarks and its Michelin guides with their famous stars have become the last word in gastronomic standards. Edouard Michelin began his period at the top controversially after taking over from his father, Francois, in 1999.
He was widely condemned after announcing thousands of jobs cuts at the same time as the company was posting strong profits.
But he gained a reputation as a determined leader, ready to open the firm up more and challenge some of its paternalistic traditions, while remaining true to its family roots.