Low-tech, CSR, decarbonisation, distributed manufacturing… The small fine sheet metalwork company a few miles from Le Havre is proving that commitment to sustainable development isn’t just for big business.
An eco-friendly business
With its 35 employees and 2.9 million in turnover, CPM Industries is a big and bold SME! The business specialises in designing and making industrial prototypes and equipment and has made its commitment to sustainable development its trademark.
Low-tech philosophy
The company was founded in 1990 by Jean-Marie Panchout, a sheet metalworker, and taken over by two of his children in 2014. Benoist Panchout, named a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) in sheet metalwork in 2005, runs the mechanical engineering department and oversees production. His sister, Élise Hauters, takes care of management and business strategy. “Our customer base is primarily local industries and we always try to persuade them to choose the simplest and most sustainable design with low-tech in mind,” she says.
CPM Industries’ Effective and Inclusive CSR Policy: For People and the Planet
In-house, the co-directors focus on an effective and inclusive CSR policy “for both the people and the planet.” Nothing is left to chance when it comes to good working conditions, protective equipment, rewards, external works committee and other areas.
“We also strive to attract women to our industry and provide job opportunities for disabled people,” the co-director of CPM Industries says. For example, the company’s staff includes a female department manager and autistic boilermaker assistant.
A third place on-site
CPM Industries moved into a 2500m2 building at Parc Eco Normandie in Saint-Romain-de-Colbosc in 2008 and built an 800m2 extension on-site. It gave the SME space to organise production into areas of expertise and open “Le Chaudron”, its own third place, in late 2024. Immersive workshops, events and escape games: CPM Industries wants to turn this educational and training area, which anyone can visit, into a platform to help people imagine their future career and attract new talent to the sector, given the recruitment issues and stereotypes that still exist in the industry.
Promoting our careers to create appeal and restore industry to our lands as well as decarbonising our business to support ecological transition really is a virtuous circle
CPM Industries’ Decarbonisation Efforts: Investing in a Greener Future
CPM Industries has invested 1 million Euros in the extension and will use it to decarbonise its business even more. The new wing’s roof will be covered with solar panels to generate electricity and cover up to 30% of its requirements. The SME will also found a collective self-consumption association with nearby businesses. “CPM Industries could buy green energy produced locally by other SMEs,” says the director.
The first distributed factory
Being local is another major asset at CPM Industries. The SME is supported by ADEME and involved in building an experimental network to decentralise manufacturing. “The idea isn’t to have one giant factory stocking the whole of France, but instead create a regional network of small factories for open manufacturing products and distributing them locally,” explains Elise Hauters.
That means less freight (which also means less CO2) and more employment for the good of the local economy. Vhelio solar-powered bikes will kick off the manufacturing project before a whole host of low-tech products for transport and vegetable farming. “We’ll roll out the model properly in 2025 before taking it around France in 2026 to identify and attract partners”… Change waits for no one!
Thematics
