Consumption of frozen vegetables is stable in France (8 kilos/capita on average). The market is shared between a handful of companies, including Belgian group Ardo, whose French subsidiary is doubling their production capacities. Their main factory in Gourin (Morbihan) processes frozen vegetables for Picard and Thiriet. Increasing sales have encouraged Ardo to carry out this investment. The company produces 80,000 tons of spinach, green beans, onions and other vegetables per year. This figure is expected to progressively increase to over 160,000 tons.
Claude Villain, Director General of Ardo in France states that they plan to invest €37 million, of which €5 million is for a new purification plant. The factory is expected to spread from 500 hectares to 1,000. A 6,000m2 building will be constructed so that products can all be stocked in the same place rather than outside of the company, which costs an extra €1 million every year. The vegetables are sorted, cleaned, cooked and for some of the range prepared before being frozen and packaged. 60% of the produce is sold to Picard and Thiriet, notably the soups. The remaining volume is sold to large food retailers, the food service industry, and vegetable-based ready meal industry (Nestlé and Blédina are also supplied by Ardo).
Works are expected to be completed in 2017. The Breton factory which had a €150 million turnover last year is supplied by 900 producers covering 15,000 hectares of vegetable farms. Ardo France has 2 other factories in France (Violaines in the North specialising in onions, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and peas; the other in the Landes has 80 employees primarily processing corn). The Ardo group has 20 factories in 8 European countries with an annual €800 million turnover.