Saint Charles International initially was a center of marketing, transport, and logistics purely focused on citrus fruits, but the platform has been able to evolve its offer over time. Denis Ginard, president of the National Union of Importers and Exporter of Fruits and Vegetables: “For several years now, the total volume has been composed of 50% citrus and other fruits, and 50% vegetables. This has been possible thanks to investments made in the cold chain and air conditioning of suitable warehouses for these different products. This mix has evolved with an offer that revolves around conventional productions, as well as organic.”
Denis Ginard
After last season, the fruits that were represented in the highest amounts at Saint Charles International in Perpignan are oranges, followed by clementines/tangerines, then peaches/nectarines and (water)melons. As for vegetables, the ranking goes: tomatoes, followed by peppers, then lettuces and zucchini.
Denis: “The companies within the platform have demonstrated a good capacity of adaptation to the demand of the customers in a little more than fifty years of existence. The adaptation to the customer's request is made through new flows, corresponding to new consumer habits as well as new consumer interest. Among the products that represent a certain volume, we can cite watermelon in all its forms, for example mini-watermelons or seedless varieties, persimmon, which is beginning to be well known and is exported more and more, and the range of red fruits. The truly classic product, the strawberry, still represents the majority of the overall total, but raspberries and blueberries are catching up. In a still relatively modest proportion, the progress of mangoes, pomegranates and avocados is quite remarkable."
"Of the 1,766,000 tons processed annually by the platform, 1,100,000 tons come from Spain, and 450,000 tons from Morocco. French products represent around 6 to 8% of the globally marketed volume. However, in terms of transport and logistics, all of the regional production benefits from all the infrastructure of the platform, as well as from this massive flow to the French and European markets from Perpignan. Saint Charles International was built on local import/export companies, which were quickly joined by French subsidiaries of major Spanish and Moroccan groups, wishing to develop the marketing and logistics of their productions from Perpignan in France as well as into Europe."
"The advantages of settling in our zone are, for example, a sharing of means useful to the development of all the companies of our sector, thanks in particular to the action of the National Union of the Importers/Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables of Saint Charles International (SNIFL), transport and logistics facilities unique in Europe, with daily grouping departures in all major French and European cities, and the presence on site of state administrations in charge of control, specialised in fruit and vegetables, and whose expertise is recognised throughout Europe (customs, phytosanitary services, DRAAF, DGCCRF, DDPP, etc.). This attractiveness is essential, and has made it possible to strongly develop jobs in the area, as well as companies in the area overall adding value."
"The mix of business buyers has changed over time, although recently there has been some status quo. In the beginning, it was obvious that wholesalers made up the majority of the customers. Over the years, central purchasing offices have gradually completed the customer portfolio. Supermarkets are therefore an important part of the Saint-Charles buyer portfolio. Some of our companies remain specialised in one or the other type of clientele, while others market both. The picture would be incomplete if one ignored foreign importers. Of the 1 766 000 tons, 60% are marketed in France, and 40% in other countries, particularly Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Among these flows, some are made directly on large distribution, and some pass through importers."
"There are two major business profiles in Saint-Charles: the subsidiaries of major foreign groups (or cooperatives) that have a policy of replacing management as in any other group of shareholders, and independent family corporations, which in principle, could be affected by the succession problem. To date, we can see that the new generations have taken up the torch of their elders for the vast majority, with some examples of takeovers of companies by one or more employees from the former leader. The solutions therefore mostly remain internal."
"Our companies are developing. The problem that arises today is the search for land, in order to allow new businesses to continue to establish in our area, or the possibility for old companies to expand. We plan to continue our development, as soon as the land around our area will be made available by the Urban Community of Perpignan. Development projects are underway, and will allow to welcome new marketing, transportation or logistics companies as such."
"The first guarantee for the future is, of course, the dynamics and projects of business leaders. These invigorate the “Bureaux”, SNIFL’s Boards of Directors, and together the main issues can be brought to a successful conclusion."
"The Saint-Charles Quality Approach has been a pioneer in France’s fruit and vegetable world, helping to guarantee the main principles of the HACCP process, including health analyses, and regulatory and standardisation checks carried out on a daily basis. This policy started with the state administration, has been going on for more than fifteen years, and is formalised by the signing of three-year agreements. SNIFL has also been a training center for three years, and trains more than one hundred people each year: new quality accreditors in initial training, or alumni in continuing education, as a mandatory requirement. It also provides ad hoc training along the demands of companies, whether they are union members or not."
"Other examples are the mastery of waste recycling, the search for energy solutions (the roofs of companies are already made of photovoltaic tiles) and, in the same manner, the multimodality, which is either maritime for upstream flows (the commercial port of Port-Vendres is about twenty minutes away from the platform), or rail in the context of deliveries to our customers. A railway terminal is situated next to the platform."
"The growth of Saint Charles International has been mainly on export flows in recent years. The international field remains an opportunity for the future." For this, companies are supported by the group Saint-Charles Export, created in 2007, which offers turnkey solutions in terms of organising prospecting missions, receiving buyers or participating in major trade shows.
"Multimodality is also a project on which we invest for the long term as part of a global sustainable development policy. We have opened many possibilities for reflection and action: on training, recruitment, quality and digitalisation; in short, we’re not lacking in projects."
The Saint Charles International platform receives and markets products with a strong orientation on Mediterranean origins, in particular Spanish, Moroccan, and French. Denis: "We are also working on the development of our customer portfolio, especially the foreign one, via the actions of Saint-Charles Export. The diversification of origins processed by the platform, to offer a wider range of products from January 1st to December 31st is important too in our development strategy."
Overall, the platform markets 1,766,000 tons for 1.95 billion euros in sales (2016/2017 sales figures). 2,200 direct employees work at Saint Charles International daily.
For more information:
St. Charles International
0033 4 68 54 66 40