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Agri-food in Dunkirk area

1st

Frances’s leading agricultural region

+1300

Agri food companies in the region

45,000

Jobs in the food industry in Hauts-de-France region

Millions of consumers with high purchasing power within a radius of 300 km

A sector with a long-standing history in the Dunkirk Area

The agri-food industries sector on the Hauts-de-France coastline boasts 14,000 jobs and many of the sector’s biggest stakeholders. This strong industrial focus plays a part in the employment of 102,500 workers in the territory, representing almost 28% of the region’s jobs (a figure higher than the national average).

Excellent companies in this sector based in the territory:

Dunkirk’s panorama is marked by the presence of major groups, such as Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), the Avril group which owns Lesieur Coudekerque-Branche and Générale Condimentaire, Cémoi, Barry Callebaut and Délifrance… but also SMEs that have seen huge growth over the years such as Goëland Marée, Biscuiterie Dunkerquoise, Flandr’œufs, Novepan, Espitalier Garcia and Appétit Marine (Sofipêche).

It is also home to foreign-funded companies such as HSWT (the Netherlands), Ryssen Alcools (Germany) as well as Pomuni France and Agrifreez, Charcuterie des Flandres (Locks).

Browse this page to discover all the expertise you can find in the Hauts-de-France region and the ADVANTAGES the Dunkirk territory offers when it comes to setting up your agri-food business.

Dunkirk goes bananas!

Did you know? At present, 100% of the French West Indies banana production goes through Dunkirk.

That’s 4,500 tonnes of bananas from Guadeloupe and Martinique arriving at the port of Dunkirk every week, representing around 24 million pieces of fruit.

As the banana is a particularly fragile fruit, this highlights the undeniable expertise of the port platform’s stakeholders, particularly when it comes to transport and logistics.

AN “AGRI-FOOD READY” LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT SECTOR

Coca-Cola

Located in Socx since 1989, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is an important site for the group:

> It employs around 400 people.
> It is the most important of Coca-Cola’s 5 production sites in France.
> The group’s most versatile site, it produces multiple formats for 10 brands.

Lesieur

Lesieur emerges in 1908 in Coudekerque-Branche near Dunkirk with the construction of its first oil production plant. Lesieur is now a subsidiary of the Avril group, a major stakeholder in the agri-food industry. The company has two sites in Dunkirk:

> Lesieur, specialising in refining rapeseed, sunflower, peanut, soybean and corn oil. The plant produces almost 170 million litres per year for both the wider public and professionals. It employs around 210 people.

> Lesieur Général Condimentaire, which produces sauces and condiments for large retailers and professionals. The site employs around 110 people.

Cémoi

Located in Bourbourg, the Cemoi chocolate factory was founded in 1921. It has belonged to the Cémoi Group since 2004.

The site employs around 730 people and has 12 production lines. It manufactures goods for two different markets:

> B2B: for professionals, chocolatiers and bakers.

> B2C: for end consumers (including a large number of private label brands).

> Its flagship products are confectionery goods: mini chocolate bars, chocolate balls, chocolate bars, and, at the end of the year, Christmas truffles and chocolates.

Délifrance

Belonging to the Nutrixo group, Délifrance is a French industrial bread and pastry brand founded in 1983.

> Created in 1994, the Dunkirk site (formerly “Krabansky”) has belonged to the group since 2013.

> The site mainly produces pre-baked bread and baguettes for professional use.

> It employs around 200 people.

Novepan

Novepan is a company specialising in breadmaking, snacks and frozen pizza for professional needs. The company comes up with all its own products across its five sites in France and uses flour from mills located close to its production sites.

> Opened in 1988, the Grande-Synthe plant specialises in sheets of pizza dough (a capacity for 3,500 tonnes per year) and ready-rolled dough with a capacity for 3,000 tonnes per year.

> The site has a cookery workshop with a capacity for 2,000 tonnes per year.

> It employs around 90 people.

DISCOVER THE AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRIES IN DUNKIRK AND MARITIME FLANDERS

DRINKS, CHOCOLATE, CONVENIENCE FOOD, SAUCES, BREAD, SNACKS… YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT BUT YOU’VE DEFINITELY EATEN PRODUCTS MADE HERE. CLICK ON THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF INTEREST AND CHECK OUT THE GOODS THEY PRODUCE.

The Hauts-de-France, France’s leading agricultural region

With its diverse agriculture, range of training courses (unique in France) and even its lead in the development of agro-resources, the Hauts-de-France region has firmly taken its place as France’s leading agricultural region.

Take a look for yourself:

2.1 million hectares of useful agricultural surface area
27,400 farming businesses
Larger farming businesses (78.5 ha on average) than the national average (55 ha on average)
67% of the regional territory is used for agriculture,
130,000 jobs, including 53,000 salaried jobs in the agri-food industry.

The potato kings

In this region, the potato reigns supreme! Almost 2 out of 3 potatoes are produced in the Hauts-de-France region.

Here are some facts about the sector in the region:

5,800 producers
15 to 20 tonnes of French fries are produced every hour at McCain in Harnes (Pas-de-Calais)
Almost 200 different varieties
Internationally recognized expertise which exports very well, particularly to the United Kingdom.

In the Dunkirk area, you will find:

Pomuni, a potato supplier and producer of frozen potato goods for retailers, wholesalers and catering services.
Agrifreez, a specialist in frozen vegetable production and packaging.
Clarebout Potatoes, a family business producing French fries and other frozen potato goods, will soon open a new production site near Dunkirk.

Qualified transport and logistics partners to store potatoes (fresh or frozen) such as 24H Frost or Conhexa that are ready to work with other sector activities in the future

AN AGRI-BUSINESS DESK TO BOOST THE SECTOR

In the Hauts-de-France, a regional agri-business desk got off the ground in 2022. The aim of this Agri-Hub is to boost the development of the sector’s companies and create 1,200 extra jobs by 2025. A priority for the region, which already has 800 active companies, ranks number one in terms of agri-exports and third in the number of employees. With 45,000 employees, the Hauts-de-France enjoys a comprehensive range of training and an ideal logistics situation: at the heart of networks, with suitable infrastructures and a long coastline.

THE ADVANTAGES OF DUNKIRK FOR THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR

REASON No. 1

Une localisation idéale en Europe du nord

The access to a vast catchment area

At the heart of the Paris-Brussels-London triangle, Northern Europe and the United Kingdom
Five European capitals in a 300 km radius and 78 million consumers with a strong purchasing power
At the heart of networks with a long coastline
At the heart of France’s third agri-food region (the Hauts-de-France) and France’s leading foodstuff exporter

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REASON No. 2

A vast network of skills available in the local area

A vast network of research and development bodies, schools and partners that contribute to the innovative dynamic from Lille to Dunkirk.
The Border Inspection Office (SIVEP) undertakes veterinary and phytosanitary inspections upon import and export in the port area.
Available, qualified labour with an industrial culture.

Easy recrutement

REASON No. 3

100% multimodal territory

Setting up your company in Dunkirk means you benefit from fluid and diverse transport infrastructures: road, sea, river and rail routes give you comprehensive multimodality, thereby improving your carbon footprint.

Import and export with ease

REASON No. 4

A network of specialised subcontractors in the local area 

The number of subcontractors in the area is an argument widely used by company directors in the Dunkirk region. These subcontractors ensure agri-food companies are constantly producing and provide them with a rapid response. Such specialised subcontracting makes it simple for agri-food companies to grow.

Economic leaders

REASON No. 5

Land available for new projects

Agropark, a future business park has 18.5 ha of land available for agri-food businesses.
The Dunkirk International Logistics area (DLI) has a 150 ha surface area where you can store dried goods and merchandise under controlled temperatures.
The Hauts de Flandre Greater District Council area (CCHF) is already home to major names in the agri-food sector such as Coca-Cola and its numerous advantages mean it is perfectly placed to receive new stakeholders in the sector.

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