More bad news for the Morbihan industry. After Michelin in Vannes and Fonderie de Bretagne in Caudan, the dairy cooperative Sodiaal announced last week its intention to close its Entremont cheese factory in Malestroit. By 2028-2029, the production of Emmental will be stopped and transferred to another manufacturing site based in Montauban-de-Bretagne (35), near Rennes. Secondly and “subject” to the studies which will be carried out in 2025, the Malestroit research and development teams will also be moved to this factory, as will the quality laboratory. The collection center, for its part, will be “repositioned in a nearby location” to allow employees to continue their activities there, explains the company.
This promises that the relocation of production will not have an impact on the collection of milk in Brittany, half of which is intended for the manufacture of Emmental. On the other hand, it will have consequences for the future of the 150 Morbihan employees. Upset against their employer's decision, they went on strike from Thursday January 9 to Saturday January 11. “Everyone was very angry, we counted 80 to 90% of strikers,” reports Jérémy Morhan, CFDT union delegate.
Competitiveness and investments
To justify the shutdown of its cheese factory, the cooperative, No. 2 in milk in France, cites the need to maintain its competitiveness in a “very competitive” market. With a production of 15,000 tonnes of Emmental per year, the Malestroit site is not operating at full capacity and displays a “cost price two to three times higher than the average of other sites in the region”.
To boost production, between €50 and €70 million are needed. Significant investments which, deplores Sodiaal, “would not significantly improve the level of industrial performance”. Conversely, the investments to be made in Montauban-de-Bretagne to accommodate Morbihan volumes (and therefore increase from 50,000 to 65,000 tonnes of Emmental per year) are estimated at €30 million.
Positions elsewhere in Brittany
In Malestroit, there are many questions on the employee side. “We don’t know much,” confirms Jérémy Morhan. As part of a forward employment management agreement to be negotiated, positions should be opened on Sodiaal's other Breton sites, including 15 to 20 in Montauban-de-Bretagne. “Offering positions is good, but the lives of employees are in Malestroit. Will they be prepared to drive one to two hours to go to Montauban, Guingamp or Loudéac? », asks the CFDT delegate.
The cooperative says it has revealed its projects well in advance to “be able to anticipate the impacts on employment and have the necessary time to individually support each employee concerned, in maintaining their employability”. To ensure the continuation of activity until the transfer of production, €4 to €5 million of investments are planned over three years, including €2.30 million in 2025.
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