HENNESSY AND MARTELL ARE LIKE FEDERATE AND NADAL IN TENNIS, SAYS HENNESSY CEO LAURENT BOILLOT.
An amusing comparison, but I'd have said that the two houses are like Addidas and PUMA. Indeed, the two houses are linked not only by cognac, but also by blood and by their origins in Great Britain & Irland
The Hennessys and the Martells: strategic and genealogical alliances around cognac
The marriage of Jacques Hennessy to Marthe Martell in 1795, followed by that of their daughter Lucy to a cousin Jean-Gabriel Martell in 1816, may come as a surprise. Beyond all other considerations, they sealed the alliance between the two main rival cognac houses. Fervent Catholics of Irish origin, the Hennessys were demonstrating their desire to maintain good relations with the Protestant milieu, of which "the Martell cousins" were a part. This alliance of interests between the two great Cognac families gradually developed into a genuine solidarity that lasted well into the 20th century. Personal ties gradually took precedence over economic rivalry. A Martell living in London in the 1810s marketed Hennessy cognac for some time. Following the First World War, discussions began between the two companies' directors to stem the fall in exports that was hitting the cognac trade hard. In the face of these difficulties, they led in October 1923 to the signing of an original partnership agreement, in the form of a cross-shareholding between the two companies, which ensured a return to prosperity. Links were also forged with the Bordeaux and Champagne merchants: the Ruinart and Werlé families, in particular.
#Hennessy #Martell #cognac #alliance #familybusiness
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