Regretfully for Brittany and its employees, Bridor cannot afford to wait 10 years to build a new factory.
In 2017, Bridor began searching for a site in France to meet growing customer demand.
Today, six years later, Bridor has obtained:
• Favorable conclusions from the National Public Debate Commission
• All required administrative authorizations (building permits, environmental approval – ICPE¹)
However, the Liffré industrial site project remains at a standstill. Construction cannot begin due to ongoing legal proceedings. Once all appeals are resolved, it would still take about two years to build this type of industrial facility.
As such, construction would likely not begin before 2026, meaning operations could not start until at least 2028.
“We cannot afford to wait 10 years, or likely even more, for our industrial project to materialize!” laments Louis LE DUFF, Founder and Chairman of Groupe LE DUFF. “Meanwhile, our international competitors take just 1 to 2 years to obtain similar construction approvals.”
“We have carefully weighed our options, including the latest government initiatives aimed at supporting industrial development,” notes Philippe MORIN, CEO of Bridor. “But such long timelines are simply incompatible with our clients’ growing demand. Faced with so many obstacles, we’ve taken action on three levels.”
In France and Brittany (where Groupe LE DUFF is headquartered), Bridor continues to invest in its existing sites.
Over the past four years, more than €350 million have been invested in current French facilities, resulting in the creation of 500 direct jobs and nearly 1,500 indirect jobs.
In Portugal, Bridor acquired Panidor (500 employees) in October 2022 to meet European demand.
In North America, Bridor acquired Lecoq Cuisine (300 employees) in July 2022 in Connecticut (USA), and doubled its production capacity at its Bridor Montréal site (Canada) with 570 employees, to meet rising demand in the U.S.
Bridor now serves over 100,000 customers worldwide—including restaurants, 4- and 5-star hotels, bakeries, and major retail chains—and demand keeps growing.
“We must continue to serve our customers with the same level of quality that has built our reputation for over 30 years. It’s thanks to our employees’ dedication that Bridor is able to meet this rapid growth,” emphasizes Philippe MORIN, CEO of Bridor.
“Our employees also need stability and peace of mind to do their jobs. Many have been with us for 20 or 30 years and helped build this company, benefitting from internal promotions and upward mobility alongside me,” adds Louis LE DUFF.
