The community of communes of Val de Cher-Controis has on its territory 31 activity zones of varying sizes and with different purposes. If Le Controis-en-Sologne concentrates the majority of industries, Jean-Luc Brault affirms his desire to also install craftsmen in smaller municipalities. Met on Thursday July 20, 2023, he discusses current projects.
Le Controis-en-Sologne. The young Pepette company, which produces fresh meals for cats and dogs, is setting up in the town, a few steps from the headquarters of the community of towns. The community is paying 3 million euros for the construction of the 1,100 m² production unit initially with the possibility of expanding by 500 m². In return, the company will have rent to pay, with the possibility of eventually buying back the whole thing. The work has started; the factory is expected to be operational in March 2024 with seven employees to start.
Alexandre Willems, economic developer, and Jean-Luc Brault, president of Val de Cher-Controis, show the land which will host the Pepette production unit.
© Photo NR
Marine Thersiquel founded Pepette in 2019, in Paris, with the idea of “moving the lines in animal food. I noticed that what we were giving them to eat was ultra-processed, with foods that had lost their nutritional values. My goal was to put fresh food (chicken, beef, fish and vegetables) back into the bowls with a balanced diet to match the animal's energy needs. » To date, 2,000 dog and cat owners located in France have subscribed to the concept and have these fresh meals delivered. After starting production by subletting a food laboratory in the Paris region, Pepette then subcontracted to the caterer Chambord Prestige in La Chaussée-Saint-Victor before this service provider was placed in liquidation. “With growing volumes, I found another subcontractor in the north of France. It was through François Roche-Bayard that I met Jean-Luc Brault. We built this production unit three years ago. The local ecosystem was favorable to my installation in Contres. »
Furthermore, the extension of the Village by CA is being completed. New cells will be able to accommodate start-ups operating in the agri-food industry. Its inauguration is scheduled for September 8, 2023.
The extension of the Village by CA is completed. The inauguration will take place in September.
© Photo NR
McDonald's arrives in the industrial zone
Announced for years, the fast food brand McDonald's is arriving in the industrial zone, opposite the StMichel factory, after the acquisition of 3,500 m² of land in the town of Controis-en-Sologne. The building permit will be submitted for opening during 2024. “I would not have thought that McDo would one day be able to set up in Contres, launches Jean-Luc Brault. After this and Patàpain which opened in April 2023, a third fast food brand is interested in setting up here. »
Next to the Patàpain, a funeral home is currently being built on private land.
Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. The company CDM (Commercial leather goods), already established in Montrichard-Val-de-Cher, Monthou-sur-Cher and Montoire, has opened a new workshop in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, operational since June 2023. The community of municipalities invested in the 1,000 m² building to the tune of 1.6 million euros; the company took charge of fitting out the premises.
Chemery. The new winery with a storage capacity of 20,000 hectoliters, designed by Joost de Villebois, will be inaugurated in two months in Chémery. The owner of the estate created his wine business in 2004 by purchasing 10 hectares of vines in Mareuil-sur-Cher. Today, he farms 65 hectares in Touraine. “We are currently renting a winery in Nantes. The idea was to have our own. Hence our installation in Chémery to vinify our Sauvignon Blanc. Bottling will take place in Sancerre », explains Joost de Villebois. The inauguration is scheduled for November 10, 2023.
The Villebois estate has created a winery in Chémery which will be inaugurated this fall.
© Perspective of the Villebois area
Lassay-sur-Croisne. Val de Cher-Controis made an investment of €700,000 in a building used to store coffins from Établissements Canard based in Allier.
Concerned by the problems of insecurity in industrial zones, Jean-Luc Brault discusses the solution of guarding with natural persons: “Cameras are not enough to prevent theft”.
Forecast of 45,000 admissions per year for future cinema
> The Val de Cher-Controis community of municipalities has just acquired the Intermarché industrial wasteland in Controis-en-Sologne. State aid of 1.2 million euros was obtained and will be used to give a second life to this site.
> “The goal is to create a leisure and cultural space, integrating a unit for our local artists,” indicates the president.
> Next door, the building permit for a cinema will be filed. Made up of three rooms with 148, 94 and 56 seats, it will be operated by Adrien Fourneau and Julie Jegou, already at the head of the Romorantin and Vierzon cinemas and programmers of around ten other municipal or associative cinemas in the region. In Contres, the opening of the cinema is planned for the end of 2024-beginning of 2025. > “This installation is relevant for a city of this size with strong economic dynamism,” recognizes Adrien Fourneau. We are based on a forecast of 45,000 entries per year.” For comparison, the Romorantin cinema has recorded between 120,000 and 130,000 admissions per year since Covid.
> To bring this investment to 2.4 million euros, operators will borrow a third of the amount, use advances on receipts for a second third and the remainder will be supplemented by community subsidies.
