11 new maritime companies in the port of Herbaudière
In September 2020, the bénéteau Group announced a major reorganization of its industrial facilities and the closure of its Herbaudière site on the Vendée island of Noirmoutier. Shortly afterwards, the Vendée Chamber of Commerce launched a call for tenders in the 2nd quarter of 2021 to attract new companies on the 15,000 square meters left by the yacht builder.
On January 1, 2022, 11 new companies from the maritime economy finally took over the space that was freed up. Among them are several well-known brands in the nautical industry, such as the semi-rigid boats Highfield and Nuova Jolly, the French Boat Market group, which wishes to repatriate the production of its motorboat brand White Shark, but also the sailboat importer Hello Multi and the electrician Robin Marine. The Chantier Vendée dealer is expanding its reach. The company Composite Services is taking over the public service delegation for the management of the forklift.
While the departure of Bénéteau had eliminated 98 jobs on the site, 220 new hires have been announced.
Bringing a nautical center to life in the Herbaudière
"It's a process of reindustrialization with a very Vendée DNA and local players, but it's also a source of pride, because we've been able to attract reputable outside players. All the spaces have been taken. The Vendée departmental council was very supportive and the companies were happy to find a space alongside the quay. The infrastructure left by Bénéteau was of good quality," explains Anthony Valentini, director of the Vendée Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which manages the Herbaudière port site.
The Chamber of Commerce envisages its mission beyond the allocation of lots. It wants to capitalize on the dynamics around yachting on the site. "The challenge is now to animate this nautical pole. There is an existing competence on the site to consolidate in the polyester. Before, there was a single major player with Bénéteau, but today there is an ecosystem around boating. We are going to organize a meeting between them in January so that they can get to know each other. In the long term, we can envisage joint actions. Why not go together on commercial actions?" envisages the director of the CCI.
