The SME Delecroix Harvesting, located in Blaringhem in the North, is the specialist in harvesting trailers for all types of industrial production. Jean-François Toubeaux, the manager, is proud to present his company which manufactures and distributes machines in France and now aims internationally. It plans to double its production by next year.
Jean-François Toubeaux, CEO of Delecroix Harvesting, a technological leader in harvesting trailers (©Delecroix)
Terre-net (TN) : Can you introduce me to the Delecroix Harvesting company ?
Jean-François Toubeaux (J.-F.T.): “Delecroix Harvesting offers a range of harvesting solution machines for fruits and vegetables. These are vegetable trailers, harvest conveyor belts, fixed and mobile floretting machines. But the company is also people of experience. They come from the agricultural world and therefore understand very well the expectations of our customers who produce fruit and vegetables. "
TN : What are the expectations of your customers and their cooperatives ?
J.-F.T. : "What our customers are looking for is a reduction in the drudgery of harvesting operators, a saving of time during harvesting, a reduction in shocks on the harvested products as well as machines adapted for conventional and organic crops. We are aware of the high demands of producers, cooperatives and consumers. "
TN : What are the flagship products designed and manufactured in France ?
J.-F.T. : “Our flagship product is unique! This is the cauliflower and broccoli floretting machine. It is a custom designed machine with 4 cauliflower cutting heads. This allows you to do everything at once in the open field. Instead of cutting and harvesting and then manually stealing each cabbage, the machine cuts, harvests and directly produces ready-to-eat cabbage and broccoli florets without reprocessing in the food industry. Saving time and harvesting quality for a product that is unique in the world and designed in our workshops in the North."
TN : What are the main types of customers for these machines ?
J.-F.T. : "Our main customers are agrifood groups such as Bonduelle, Ardo, Aucy, Triskalia ... The machines are then made available to partner farms and used by operators. To professionalize ourselves, we joined forces some time ago with Christophe Lamblin who is our associate sales director whose mission is to take care of our customers and dealers. "
TN : What are the advantages of producing in France for Delecroix ?
J.-F.T. : “70% of our turnover is generated in France, mainly in the North, Normandy and Brittany. These are the first regions producing vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, salads, artichokes, cucumbers. The “French tech” is also here in the north of France! This is reassuring for our producer customers. We understand each other, we are close and we remain at their service over time."
« We are not just selling an equipment but a sustainable and worthy solution. »
TN : What are the main difficulties encountered in producing in France ?
J.-F.T. : "Producing in France is not a difficulty. In the North, we are in entrepreneurial land. We are the size of an SME, which is an advantage because we are agile and responsive. What is delicate is to lead people well and to lead change and development.
The difficulty, ultimately, is the administration of the company. You have to manage everything while ensuring manufacturing and marketing. It’s unique to entrepreneurs.
The next challenge is for early 2020: we will move to the new industrial area of Bailleul 30 minutes north of Lille. The goal is to double the production capacity in a more spacious building. Workstations will be more secure and equipped with overhead cranes to also increase productivity. We will also have a new painting room with collection and filtration of industrial waste. Delecroix invests sustainably for its fellow technicians and for its customers who produce vegetables and fruits. "
One of the Delecroix Harvesting trailers at work. (©Delecroix)
TN : Which countries are you targeting for export?
J.-F.T. : “The market is primarily “first-time buyers” : the market is therefore very large. We are therefore mainly focused on our immediate neighbors: Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy. For several years, with our Dutch partner, we have been exporting to Israel, the USA and Great Britain. We are also targeting new regions of the world, we will soon be in Morocco and Algeria. "
TN : Would you like to add something ?
J.-F.T. : “Yes, one essential thing: the value of our profession. What satisfaction to know that we are relieving operators who harvest in better conditions. Moreover, our equipment is subsidized by the MSA because it helps to limit MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) and above all to retain temporary workers. This gives a lot of meaning to our work and motivates us to always provide innovative harvesting solutions… ”
The team of companions of Delecroix Harvesting in Blaringhem in the North(59). (©Delecroix)
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