Our company was founded in 1913. It all began with a small-scale family-run factory making ultramarine blue, a compacted powder that was used to whiten laundry. For nearly 30 years, the company developed its business by extending its product range to include colour brightening balls, cleaners and dyes for fabric and leather, steel wool and trading in emery cloth.

The small business decided to start making emery cloth manually in 1948. Production was converted to the industrial scale in 1957, and the company became known as SUD EST ABRASIF. The emery cloth business, and the company, continued to grow ; in 1975, it still accounted for 80% of the activity of the company. That was the time when the fennec became the emblem of the SEA brand.

After a move to the current premises in 1986, which were subsequently extended, the company name was changed to SOCIÉTÉ EUROPÉENNE D'ABRASIFS. By that time, its emery cloth business had receded to 10% of its production and the sandpaper range was extended significantly into the current business of the company. In 2008, it supplemented its range by buying out Christaud, a French manufacturer of organic and vitrified grinding wheels, and became a key supplier in the market for industrial distribution.

Today, SEA offers a range that is among the widest in the market, in the area of coated abrasives, sponges, grinding wheels, cutting discs and diamond discs.