Montreuil-sur-Mer, rue du Tortillard. The location could not be better chosen to grow a company operating on the railway lines. It was here that in 1979, André Ducrocq, whose business was founded three years earlier in the garage of the Family home, opened a window on the world. Or rather across the Channel initially! Exit the general mechanics and boilermaking company, soon Ducrocq will weigh as much as his achievements. England for tender In 1985, there were numerous calls for tenders for the Channel Tunnel and the company which produces special equipment for infrastructure projects wanted to be among them. It then created its design office with engineers and project managers to ensure interface with the client, and began to design machines to facilitate the construction of its underground equipment. This is the major turning point in the company’s history. “ From that moment on, we no longer needed to subcontract and we could develop products directly with our customers. » Pierre Ducrocq, the son, took over as president of the company in 2015. And although he worked abroad for a long time, the growth of Ducrocq Ingénierie was always close to his heart. This link with England will be further strengthened in 2021. Three years earlier, the Montreuil-based company positioned itself to win a market on the TGV line in England between London and Birmingham. A wait which will have paid off since the concrete bridge, 80 meters long and as many tonnes, will be destined for England, in several pieces and will be reassembled on site.
Because mastering all the stages: study, manufacturing, assembly and commissioning is also the strength of Ducrocq Ingénierie. “ We know how to do everything from spare parts costing a few hundred euros to projects costing 5 million euros. » summarizes the president of the company.
A global niche
It is therefore no coincidence that Ducrocq Engineering is today the preferred contact for large groups specializing in construction. The company has been able to stand out by entering a niche where direct competition is almost non-existent. But also by developing new sectors of activity such as energy with hydroelectricity and the construction of offshore pipelines. This is how its evolution naturally took place abroad. There are all these tunnels in Santiago de Chile, in South Africa during the World Cup, in Hong Kong; railway lines in Uruguay, Egypt, Vancouver. “ As for the African market, we had a mission with the President of the Republic to Kenya and Ethiopia. But that didn’t open any doors for us. We are nevertheless present in Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Angola for the development of a machine and we have two people working until July since the client was looking for production assistance. »
Greater Paris, Lyon-Turin, Montreal…
On the national territory, Ducrocq also manages to find a place in the deployment of offshore, brings its know-how in the renovation of the lock of the Loubet basin of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer or delivers a concreting bridge for the large Greater Paris project. “ We are currently also present on the Lyon-Turin project with twice 50 kilometers of railway tunnels. We are also on two important programs: one in India and one on the extension of the blue metro line in Montreal. » Alongside these successes, Pierre Ducrocq does not hide his ambition for external growth. “ We have a strong desire in the North American market which has a real infrastructure deficit. » The company therefore wishes to acquire a company across the Atlantic and is, for this, supported by a New York firm.
Family spirit
Obviously, this growth cannot happen without men and women participating at all levels. “ Today, Ducrocq, with our Lyon site, has 70 employees. We have different profiles since we touch on particular know-how. This goes from the design office made up of engineers, technicians and draftsmen, to the design with the mechanical welding and machining workshops and the assemblers and automation engineers. » But it is also a breeding ground for training. “ We have a lot of young people in apprenticeships who we hope to keep afterwards. We have grown a lot, but the spirit remains the same. We try to give back to our employees all the investment they put into work. And we have very little turnover! »
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