The Saupiquet factory in Quimper permanently closes its doors

For the 155 employees of the factory Saupiquet from Quimper, the 2024 end-of-year celebrations have a bitter taste. It was in fact on December 20 that this cannery built in 1968 closed its doors for good, due to lack of a buyer. Its owner, the Italian group Boltonhas in fact decided to stop manufacturing canned products made from mackerel (90% of its production) and sardines. Faced with sales down 25% in three years and losses of €5 million in 2023, the site has failed to turn around.

Significant overcapacity

When the closure was announced last June, Bolton Food France deplored a rate of use of lines “lare the weakest of the group ”, despite advanced performances “ to the maximum », while emphasizing that all its canned fish production sites “ face significant production overcapacity “. Production will be relocated to other factories in the group, particularly in Spain. Bolton Food has also undertaken to offer support measures to the site’s 155 employees.

World number 2 in tuna in the world

The Bolton group generates nearly €3.2 billion in turnover. It employs 12,000 people and is commercially present in 150 countries. Its Bolton Food division generates around €1.2 billion in turnover, including around 10% in France, its second largest market after Italy (50 to 60% of activity). It is the second largest tuna player in the world, with around 7% market share, behind the Korean group. Dongwon. Bolton Food is number 1 in the canned tuna market in Europe and Italy.