November 12, 1973 Formation of the company at Bordeaux-Cestas (France) by two visionary engineers, Jean and Bernard Etcheparre. They had developed a computer system, the LECteur-TRAceur 200, that automatically calculated and plotted all sizes of an item of apparel. Hence the company’s name: Lectra Systèmes.

1976 First apparel pattern-making and grading system sold. The company employed fewer than 10 people when Jean and Bernard Etcheparre met French venture capital pioneer André Harari, who assembled the capital needed to implement the company’s business development plan.

1977 Lectra gains a foothold in the Spanish and Japanese markets. Within a year, exports account for more than 15% of its revenues.

1980 Lectra opens its first foreign subsidiary in Germany. This was followed by Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States, in 1982. Since then, Lectra has established 28 foreign subsidiaries and expanded its operations in 100 countries. Its sales and service network, unmatched by any of its competitors, is a major benefit for Lectra customers.

1985 First automated fabric cutting system launched. Starting out from computer-aided design (CAD) systems, Lectra now enters the field of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), developing, manufacturing and marketing its proprietary software and equipment.

1986 Lectra becomes world leader in CAD software for apparel industry. Its offering and international expansion are already answering needs bred by an increasingly global economy and just-in-time manufacturing.

1987 Initial public offering.

1990 Lectra hit by serious financial crisis, faces imminent collapse. André and Daniel Harari, already minority shareholders through their investment company, propose a rescue plan in December. (Their investment company later merged with Lectra, in 1998).

1991 Daniel and André Harari recapitalize the company and take management responsibility. The new team immediately implemented a turnaround plan, followed by strategic redeployment, transforming the company’s business model and propelling it to world leadership.

Lectra embarked on a vast research and development program aimed at renewing the entire product offering. Within a few years the company accelerated geographic expansion and the penetration of new market sectors, including furniture and furnishings, automotive, aerospace, footwear, etc.

1993 First technological breakthrough with Vector, a new generation of fabric cutting systems. These quickly became the global industry standard. Specialized models for each market sector are launched in 2002.

1995 The benefits of the company’s new strategy start to be felt as Lectra becomes global co-leader in CAD/CAM software and equipment. 

1996 New technological breakthrough, with the launch—in front of more than 1,000 customers from all over the world—of the new generation of CAD software, including the Modaris pattern-making and Diamino marker-making software (more than 10,000 licenses have now been sold).

1998—2000 First targeted acquisitions: Pan Union International (Hong Kong), Computer Design (United States), Prima Design Systems (Hong Kong), Colorado International (France), and Modacad’s technologies (United States). These acquisitions have boosted the company’s organic growth and expanded its array of design software.

2000 Lectra becomes world number one. Customers can choose from a full-line offering from conceptual design to manufacturing and visual merchandising, comprising the most widely-used design software in the industry, and incorporating state-of-the-art technologies—3D and Internet, notably—and new applications. To reflect its new development, Lectra Systèmes changed its name to Lectra in 2001. 

2002 Lectra achieves its new global technology offering, spanning the most advanced design software, mass-customization solutions, Focus laser cutting systems, now used in the manufacturing of more than one airbag in two worldwide, Total Leather Solution high-end leather cutting systems, fashion collections and product life cycle management software, merchandising software, an Internet platform, etc.

Inseparable from the above is Lectra’s global and local service offering, the most extensive in the market place.

2003 Lectra follows up the opening in 2000-2002 of its three International Call Centers covering Europe, North America and Asia, providing faster, more effective responses to customers’ queries, with the inauguration of three International Advanced Technology Centers at Bordeaux-Cestas (France), Atlanta (United States) and Shanghai (China), where customers can discover and test all of Lectra’s products. Lectra experts are on hand to provide advanced training, enabling customers to leverage their technology investments with maximum efficiency and profitability.

2004 With the acquisitions of Investronica Sistemas (number three wordwide, based in spain), Lacent (a textile laser cutting systems specialist, based in Canada), and Humantec (a leather cutting systems specialist, based in Germany), Lectra further enhances its leadership and competitiveness, and embarks on a new development strategy.

2006 Lectra launches LectraFashion PLM, dedicated to the management of the collections and product lifecycle. Lectra is now positioned as a global expert, bringing a project vision and a consulting dimension.

2007  During the Lectra World 2007 international conferences, Lectra announces several major launches, the result of 5 years and 80 million euros of R&D investment: a new range of Vector cutting systems, more powerful and more intelligent and in software, Modaris 3D Fit for 3D virtual prototyping ; EasyGrading automatic grading tool; New Kaledo design offer and a new version of Lectra Fashion PLM.