"When I was young, BLF was one of Bordeaux's finest printing houses" says Patricia Lestrade. "I thought the building was magnificent and superbly showcased in Philippe Le Meur's day. It was this intact memory that guided the head of the Lestrade Group in the takeover of BLF Impression, announced at the court on June 16, 2025. The Haillan site in Gironde, in receivership since the previous summer, officially joins the family group.
The takeover was carried out in a spirit of continuity, but also of transformation. "It's a great source of pride for me to be taking over the management of this site, which for me was emblematic, even if the task of restoring it to its former glory is enormous." says Patricia Lestrade. " Beyond our personal attachment, it was the skills of the teams, the quality of the machines and the reputation of BLF that convinced us."
The deal will safeguard six of the company's ten jobs in 2024, following successive redundancy plans.
A Heidelberg UV and the finishing shop to relaunch production
The Le Haillan site boasts a first-rate industrial tool: a Heidelberg 106 press in 75 x 106 cm format, equipped with UV technology. "It's a very high-performance production tool, which opens up technical possibilities that complement our current fleet." explains Patricia Lestrade. This offset press will enable us to meet increased demand, with greater responsiveness and maintained quality on complex substrates.
At the same time, the in-house finishing workshop, left dormant by the previous management team, is coming back to life. "This restart will enable us to regain our autonomy and regain complete control of our production chain, from printing to the finished product." says the manager.
The BLF printing site, the Lestrade group's four-colour anchorage point
In addition, the BLF site becomes an anchor point for the Lestrade group. All four-color offset and digital production will gradually be transferred to the Le Haillan site, while Lestrade's head office in Cenon refocuses on its core business: thin paper printing and leaflet folding. A custom-designed web offset press, the only one of its kind in France, has just been installed here.
"The Haillan site has a solid machine park and committed employees. It's a site with potential", emphasizes Patricia Lestrade. Part of the Cenon team has moved to the Le Haillan site, some twenty kilometers away. "This collective dynamic is essential to ensure a smooth transition and guarantee a high level of quality and service to all our customers."
The whole Lestrade family takes over the printing business
The whole strategy is based on close family management: Patricia Lestrade, at the helm of operations in Le Haillan, is supported by her brother Éric, workshop manager on site, while Christophe Lartigue, her husband, steers the group's development from Cenon, alongside his sister Véronique Lestrade, in charge of social and accounting functions.
The Lestrade group, present at five sites (Cenon, Langon, Aire-sur-l'Adour, Pau and now Le Haillan), employs over 40 people and is expected to achieve sales of 6 million euros in 2026. By 2023, BLF Impression had achieved sales of 1.7 million euros, before being placed in receivership.
On track for a bright future
More than just a rescue operation, it's a project for revival and projection. "My first objective, and the one closest to my heart, is to restore momentum and pride to this site in Le Haillan." explains Patricia Lestrade. The group intends to progressively concentrate a significant part of its production here, with the stated aim of consolidating its industrial base in the medium term.
A regrouping of Cenon and Le Haillan activities is envisaged, but within a controlled timeframe. "It's going to be another adventure, which we'll take the time to build step by step", says the manager.
With high-performance machines, stabilized teams and committed management, BLF Impression is back on course. And a future.
