Invest in Champagne-Ardenne - CADev (Champagne-Ardenne Developpement) - Case studies
Case Studies for Invest in Champagne-Ardenne - CADev (Champagne-Ardenne Developpement)
Testimonies gathered by Cadev on successful locations in the logistics and other industries
They told us :
Belgian Scrap Terminal (BST) moves onto the Givet multimodal platform
The Belgian group has created its subsidiary BST France to take advantage of the waterway, providing recycled raw materials at low cost to the Meuse Valley steel industries, or transport them to the port of Antwerp and load them onto boats going to Egypt, Spain, Turkey, etc. In January 2006, the group signed an agreement with the Ardennes Chamber of Commerce, manager of Givet port, for the provision of seven acres.
"This is to be used for constructing a grouping platform and a production terminanl on site, with presses, cutters, cranes, and administrative infrastructures. On the Givet SIte, the processing capacity may exceed 70,000 tons per annum," explained Patrick Craenhals, acting Managing Director of the BST group, which is investing between 3M € and 5M € in Givet.
- Patrick Craenhals, acting Managing Director of the BST group
FM Logistic is establishing an 80,000 m² platform in Châlons-en-Champagne
"In 2007 we decided to set up an 80,000 m² logistics platform in Châlons-en-Champagne, primarily because we identified the site as being well placed and constituting a real logistics hub, on the main transport networks. Then, because this is to be a multi-customer and multi-activity platform, this vision had to be shared by everyone involved - the mass distributors as well as the manufacturers. The strategic vision of FM Logistic reflected that of our first customer CORA.
We have also given priority to the labour pool and all the facilities that FM Logistic employees can find in a town the size of Châlons-en-Champagne. In this urban area, I have to say that we have come across a dynamic team that has correctly gauged the attraction of a company like FM Logistic and the advantage of a multi-profession platform for the region’s economic development. This logistics platform has been designed to be a high-performance working tool at all levels with sustainable development in mind, as FM Logistic has a long-term strategy. We hope to highlight the value of such assets to our current and future customers and be in a position to offer them high added value, global solutions, as this is our job."
- Claude Faure, Manager of FM LOGISTIC
Why Vingeanne Transports has chosen the Langres-Chalindrey zone
"The multimodal platform of Chalindrey is advantageous for several reasons for Vingeanne Transports, and generally for most people involved in logistics: the first advantage is its ideal location at the crossroads of a north/south road network, rail interchange and major motorways.
The Chalindrey Grand Est platform also presents an excellent alternative to maritime transport - as a dry port as it can be used as a support base for both the distribution and collection of containers.
The second advantage lies in its workforce. First of all, it’s worth mentioning that drivers and logistics operators make up three-quarters of the team at Vingeanne Transports. The availability of skills is fully ensured locally around the Chalindrey platform. Accordingly, during unexpected busy periods, flexibility and reactiveness are guaranteed. Secondly, the work quality of the workforce is confirmed by its low rate of turnover, which enables us to keep hold of know-how and avoids us having to train other people for each operation. Our transport operators are often youngsters fresh out of school that Vingeanne Transports trains personally to ensure they gain the right skills. This exchange of good procedures perhaps explains the high work assiduity, that is always assured.
Last but not least, the competitive labour costs compared with the high quality of work can really be felt.
In conclusion, I would say that all of these points make the Chalindrey platform an undeniable asset in our service offer and our sector, where the ongoing improvement of competitiveness and productivity are essential, and where margins are particularly low."
- Jean-Claude Plâ, Manager of Vingeanne Transports
B.T.L. is transferring its logistics centre in the Parisian region to Reims. Location and costs are a winning combination.
"B.T.L. is one of E. Leclerc’s multiregional centres for household appliances, IT equipment, audio and digital devices. Almost 4 million packages are delivered annually to 240 Leclerc supermarkets, in an area encompassing the very wide East, from Dunkirk right down to Nice.
The potential of Reims and its region is undeniable. The flow study conducted by B.T.Lec and cost analysis concluded that Reims was located ideally close to Paris, at the crossroads of busy networks such as the A4, A26 and A34 motorways; which means that the north and south of France can be accessed effectively in under 48 hours. The company therefore decided to leave the Parisian region for the Reims urban area in a 52,000 m² purpose-built warehouse.
This transfer is facilitated by the fact that Reims is a major breeding ground for training programmes through which administrative and sales staff can be recruited, along with handlers or forklift truck operators. Reims is resolutely a choice of the future for dealing with transport and logistics requests."
- Ludovic Lesoudier, B.TLec Manager
Givet? Living proof!
The Belgian company Aerofleet specialises in composite materials, working for such high-tech sectors as aeronautics and the space industry. Raphaël Van Vlodorp, founder of the Liege-based company, combined his knowledge of these materials with his passion for water sports by also setting his hand to the manufacturing of luxury trimarans and catamarans for an international clientele. He then decided to go one step further, with the set-up of Aerofleet France, a shipyard located in Champagne-Ardenne that will be launching its first boats this year!
"We were looking for a place to set up near our Liege factory, easily accessible to our customers and providing easy access to a seaport. The port of Givet fulfilled all these requirements - just an hour's drive from Liege, our customers could land at Charleroi to oversee the manufacturing of their boats, which could then be launched from Givet to sail into the North Sea by way of the Meuse river. The river is wide enough at Givet and the water level is constant, enabling sailing boats to use it all year round. We thus avoid having to make use of road transport, with all the complications that arise with long loads. Apart from these objective advantages, the quality of reception that our project was accorded made us all the more certain that we had made the right decision, as did the fact that we are located in a free zone. As far as I am concerned, Givet was the perfect choice!"
- Raphaël Van Vlodorp, Aerofleet Director
McCain, Châlons-en-Champagne urban area
Why did McCain choose this area?
"First of all, the strategic geographic position at the heart of a large farming region with some of the best potential in Europe.
Secondly, energy sources such as electricity and natural gas are readily available. The region has an ideal infrastructure for shipping products throughout France as well as to other European countries (particularly southern Europe).
Lastly, the workforce here is hardworking, reliable, qualified and motivated, which ensures the smooth operation and management of a relatively complex and highly technological manufacturing process such as McCain's. Up and running since July 2001, we have always been able to count on the swift and effective support of the local authorities."
- Jean-Denis Prudhomme, Factory Director
