Founded in 1954, Peau first set up in Bellême, then in Nogent-le-Rotrou, before moving to Berd'huis in 2012 in modern premises designed to meet the demands of commercial printing. Bought out in 2002 by its employees and subsequently integrated into the Santerre group, the printing works is now winding down its activities in Berd'huis.
Following the liquidation of Groupe Renard (Read : Renard Group liquidation: equipment auction raises over ?1 million ), Graph 2000 (Read : The liquidation of Graph 2000: when a century-old Argentan printing works closes its doors ) and Imprimerie de l'Étoile (Read : Hérault Imprimeur (61): diversification strategy with takeover of Etoile printing works ), the year looks set to be a black one for the Normandy printing company.
In June 2024, the Santerre Group found itself facing receivership proceedings, impacting most of its entities. According to Group CEO Thierry Santerre, this decision is part of a strategy to stabilize and reorganize activities, particularly those related to commercial printing, considered less profitable. Read more : Santerre Group in receivership: issues and prospects .
In 2021, the Santerre Group is committing 3 million euros to diversify into the printing of playing cards and board games. This decision, taken in response to the decline in traditional printing volumes and the prospects offered by this niche market, has involved investment in specialized equipment and specific technical know-how. Despite these efforts, this activity has not been sufficient to offset the decline in sales generated by commercial printing.
Soaring energy and paper prices from 2022 onwards have weighed heavily on the site's profitability. Electricity bills, which have increased fivefold, and supply difficulties have accelerated the decision to transfer activities in order to pool costs, according to Guillaume Sauget, the company's CEO.
The Santerre Group, owner of Peau printing works, has decided to consolidate its activities at two sites: Rennes for commercial printing and Chartres for publishing and board games. This restructuring is accompanied by work to accommodate machines and teams in new spaces.
The Berd'huis plant employed 28 people. The majority of employees were offered redeployment, but some chose to leave the company. Three voluntary departures and a reorganization of the associates mark this transition.
