CPME 56, the advocate for small and medium-sized enterprises in Morbihan

Pascal Ferrand took over the reins of the CPME du Morbihan in February, succeeding Claude Dozoul who was its driving force for eight years. A work praised by the new president who sees in him “the soul of the CPME 56”. The mission of this representative employers’ organization has not changed: to represent and defend the very small and medium-sized enterprises of Morbihan with public and economic authorities and social partners, to be their spearhead, their voice as a key player in social dialogue. Pascal Ferrand adds the dimension of force of proposal capable of bringing the difficulties of SMEs back to Paris to find solutions: “We have a listening ear from politicians and government services which is important”.

430 members

The CPME of Morbihan is a big player: it is 430 member SMEs and VSEs, 400 representatives, present in the joint, economic, legal, social and employment bodies, two offices (Vannes and Lorient) and territorial representatives in Ploërmel, Pontivy, Baud and Guer… To ensure this workload, Pascal Ferrand, himself the boss of Gédimat in Vannes, can count on the expertise of Tiphaine Le Maguet, general secretary of the CPME 56 since 2015, responsible for coordinating relations with members and representatives, ensuring activities, in particular the monthly workshops and the annual evening

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A free help cell

One of the main tools of the CPME 56 is the free support unit that offers businesses personalized and confidential support on all subjects that concern them. This represents more than 1,000 cases per year. “We manage to solve problems, we guide, we support, in particular requests for schedules. A certain number of our members are experts and can help business leaders,” explains Pascal Ferrand.

“Moving towards the CSR approach is the direction of history”…

“Their difficulties often stem from the administrative burden and the one-stop shop which quickly becomes complex,” says Tiphaine le Maguet. “Many VSEs are alone, without an expert or lawyer.” The CPME, as a sentinel of Apesa, can also report cases of burnout.

But what business leaders fear above all is uncertainty, whether economic, political or fiscal: “Many have delayed investments and hiring,” notes Pascal Ferrand. And this, even if certain sectors are under tension, such as construction, catering, and even hairdressers!

Moving towards more CSR

One of the major projects of the CPME 56 is CSR, corporate social responsibility or the integration by companies of social and environmental concerns into their activities. “This keeps us very busy. We have to bring VSEs and SMEs towards CSR, which becomes a criterion for obtaining bank loans and public contracts. We explain to them what it is and how to do it and we report to the public authorities the difficulties they encounter in implementing CSR. Moving towards the CSR approach is the direction of history, says Pascal Ferrand, even if many SMEs do CSR without knowing it.”