Every year since 2018, CCI France International awards seven trophies to French companies that stand out for their export performance. Of the 118 French rooms internationally, 70 of them were present at the Pavillon d’Armenonville, in Paris. Including CCI International Hauts-de-France, which pushed the applications of the winners of the Leadexport Trophies, to Arras in December 2023. On June 24, two regional companies competed: Canto(Euratechnologies) which develops digital school tools for students with learning disabilities and Red Fruits & Co (Laon), created in 1990 by three farmers.
«Competition has never been so fierce. Companies rewarded with these trophies record solid growth performances» introduced Arnaud Vaissié, president of CCI France International. And to cite the example of the northern SME CST, founded by Cosimo Prete which generates 95% of its turnover from exports and which was awarded the special jury prize last year. In total for this 2024 edition, 86 applications were received, for seven prizes: CSR/ESG Actions of the CCI France International, CSR, Start-up, French Entrepreneur Abroad, Export Performance, Foreign Establishment in France and Special Jury Trophy.
From Laon, a production of 35,000 tonnes of fruit
Among them, Fruits Rouges & Co, which received the “Leader in Export” trophy during the Leadexport trophies and which here, in Paris, was presented by Alain Di Crescenzo, president of CCI France , THE Special Jury Trophy. This award recognizes a company regardless of its size or sector, whether a start-up, an entrepreneur, a subsidiary or a joint venture.
Based in Laon, Fruits Rouges & Co is co-managed by four shareholders who bought the company in 2010: Sylvie Cathelain, Stéphane Decourselle, Philippe Cervi – all three of whom started as interns in the company! – and Mélanie Marchand.
Created in 1990 by three cereal growersFruits Rouges & Co specializes in production and marketing of fresh berries(strawberries, redcurrants, blueberries, raspberries, etc.), frozen fruits and processed fruits (purée, coulis, etc.) intended mainly for a B to B market via wholesalers of pastry products or restaurateurs.
From its Laon site of nearly 10,000 m2, expanded a year and a half ago, the fruits are transformed into puree or coulis, then sold on the French but also international market. The company is present in 87 countries and exports represent between 15 and 17% of its turnover (€160 million in 2023).
«At the beginning, we only made red fruits, with the production of the farmers behind the company. Since then, we have diversified with exotic fruits; we work with 70 producers, 40 of whom are from Hauts-de-France» explains Mélanie Marchand, director of operations. In the off-season, Fruits Rouges & Co works with carefully selected producers in Morocco, Spain and Portugal. “If we confined ourselves to Hauts-de-France, we could only be present four months of the year» specifies Mélanie Marchand.
From Perpignan, logistics to the South
A brand new logistics platform, in Perpignan, makes it possible to deliver to the South of France and preserve all the freshness of the fruits. “We want to rationalize flows by limiting our carbon footprint“. In Laon, the 320 employees are responsible for sorting fruit, packaging frozen fruit, producing fruit and coulis, as well as quality control and even agronomy. In total,
eight fresh fruit production linestwo frozen packaging lines and one line for processed fruits.
A 7-hectare branch in Transylvania is specifically dedicated to the production of organic blueberries for baby food. In the interest of sustainable development – at Fruits Rouges & Co, nothing is thrown away! – unused fruit is used for methanization and strawberry achenes (the small yellow seeds of the fruit, editor’s note) are reused by a regional company, as are apricot pits, which are used in cosmetics.
Essentially on a B to B market, Fruits Rouges & Co has also opened up to direct consumers, with sales in mass distribution (under its eponymous brand or for distributor brands) but also via direct sales, in Laon and with different packaging (250 ml instead of 500). “We are really looking for sustainability for the company: it is true that we have an atypical model, with eight-handed management, but this allows us to leverage our strengths.» continues Mélanie Marchand. For this year, Fruits Rouges & Co is counting on growth similar to that of 2023, around 2 to 5%, with increased workforce.
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