In receivership since October 2, 2024, the move of the Auraprint-X printing plant, formerly based in Yssingeaux, is now underway. This site, which has gone through several periods of prosperity and difficulties, will be leaving Les Sucs and the Haute-Loire for good. Founded under the name Gigant, after its creator Michel Gigant, the print shop then took the name Phil'Print, before becoming ICS (Imprimerie Coopérative des Sucs) when it was taken over by employees in 2016. After several acquisitions and a recent drop in activity, the company is reorganizing its operations by transferring its activities to the La Ricamarie site south of Saint-Etienne.
Since becoming a SCOP in 2016, Auraprint-X has adopted a policy of constant investment. Each year, the cooperative has focused on acquiring new equipment to modernize its machine fleet.
Alongside these material investments, Auraprint-X has opted for an external growth strategy. Starting in 2019, the company acquired several printing plants, including Les Arts graphiques in Saint-Romain-la-Motte (Loire), Imprimerie Pougnard in Roanne (Loire) in 2021, and more recently Imprimerie Reboul, located in Saint-Étienne, in 2023. These acquisitions have enabled the company to expand its geographical presence and diversify its offerings.
The move to La Ricamarie, although initially perceived by some as a shock, is an integral part of Auraprint-X's development strategy. The site, which previously housed the Reboul printing works, offers a more suitable setting for consolidating the company's activities. By consolidating its operations on a single site, Auraprint-X intends to optimize its production capacities while reducing the fixed costs associated with managing several locations. The decision also brings the company closer to a more dynamic industrial hub, with easier access to suppliers and logistics networks.
