The CAPDEA agricultural cooperative, headquartered in Assencières, Aube, has 800 members, whose farms are located primarily in Seine-et-Marne, Yonne, and Aube. Founded in 1969, it specializes in dehydrating agricultural produce and sells its products in France and neighboring countries (Switzerland, Germany, etc.).
In 2016, she began thinking about a future project, aimed at developing the dehydration of organic alfalfa, mainly intended for animal feed.
This project, which aims to be "Positive, Virtuous and Responsive", will mature to become the largest investment ever made by the cooperative (€13 million), and will materialize on the Marigny-le-Châtel site (10), with the complete refurbishment of the dehydration production line, the creation of an alfalfa bale manufacturing workshop, and the addition of two new storage sites. Named "++AB", it will double the site's production capacity, and aims to make CAPDEA the leading producer of organic alfalfa bales in France. This is a 10-year commitment, which must also correspond to the transition of an additional 1600 hectares of alfalfa to organic, and is also intended to attract new members to these more environmentally friendly practices.
To support it in the technical implementation of this industrial challenge, CAPDEA has chosen to rely on CERES Groupe, a family-owned ETI based in Anglure (51), and in particular its subsidiary SOGEFA, whose expertise in bulk handling, separation and cooling engineering in the dehydration sector is well established. CERES Groupe is therefore a quality partner, through its skills and equipment, but also a local partner which, with CAPDEA, represents the richness and vitality of the local economic fabric in the fields of agro-industry and organic, for which our group has some very fine achievements to its credit.
CERES Groupe and CAPDEA have worked together in partnership for many years to renovate, develop, and maintain the cooperative's production lines. Being part of the team involved in this ambitious project, which will bring together professionals in earthworks, civil engineering, structural steelwork, and process engineering, is both an honor and a responsibility. CERES Groupe's consulting approach and construction experience, which have been at the service of the project since its inception, were crucial in being selected to implement the handling processes.
The completion of the ++AB project, with the start-up of the new production line for the 2021 campaign, will be the start of a new era for CAPDEA, and a source of pride for CERES Groupe.
