Behind the refurbished walls, the organization of the site has changed dramatically. In Vallet, Loire-Atlantique, the Galard printing plant has completed the work it began a year ago. Now with twice as much floor space, the 25 employees work in a building redesigned for comfort and efficiency. This 3.2 million euro project is the first in a major investment plan by the Brodart Packaging group, which has set aside 25 million euros over two years to modernize several of its 10 sites.
The extension brings Galard's surface area to 3,000 m 2 . The old printing works building, acquired by Brodart in 2021, was partly demolished to make way for the new building. "We really needed to modernize the site, both the production facilities and the offices. We needed to optimize workflows to improve working comfort and responsiveness", explains Julie Pizarro, Group Communications Director.
Thanks to this work, the 2.5 million euro printer has acquired a new workshop, a consumables storage area, 225 photovoltaic panels and enhanced acoustic insulation. The choice of materials and the interior layout were decided with the teams.
The investment package also includes a new offset press to replace an older-generation machine. It is installed alongside two other offset presses, a digital press and three finishing lines.
These changes of building and machinery are also accompanied by the installation of a new ERP system from Cerm and an Esko DTP suite.
25 million euros investment for Brodart Packaging
And Galard is only the first step in Brodart's plan. The group, which has 438 employees and sales of 88 million euros, has already begun transforming its other sites. Of the ?25 million investment, ?14 million is earmarked for infrastructure.
At Criaud, located near Nantes in the Loire-Atlantique region, the teams producing adhesive labels on a continuous basis will leave their 900 m 2 for a brand-new 2,200 m 2 currently under construction.
Bréger Centre, located at Maillot in the Yonne region, will benefit from a new administrative area and a new hall, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. Bréger Sud will also be modernized.
Near Poitiers in the Vienne region, Richard Laleu, a specialist in cheese packaging who joined the Group last January, will also be upgrading its equipment with a 10-color flexo press and two winders.
Based at Gournay-en-Bray in the Seine-Maritime region, Polykote, which specializes in technical films for industry and is owned by Richard Laleu, will also benefit from new equipment and refurbishments.
"It's a good dynamic for the group, both for the label division and the flexible division", appreciates the communications director.
