On 21st October 2022, Arnaud Degoulet, Chairman of Agrial and Ludovic Spiers, Chief Executive Officer of Agrial, inaugurated the new cheese factory in Luçon (85), rebuilt after an accidental fire in February 2020, in attendance of Lydie Bernard, vice-Chairman of the Pays de la Loire region, Gérard Gavory, Prefect of the Vendée department, Dominique Bonnin, Mayor of Luçon, as well as many elected representatives, employees and partners present. Through this new site and its synergies with the cheese factory in Herbignac (in the Pays de la Loire region), Agrial is strengthening its position as leader in the production and processing of mozzarella (pizza cheese) in France, with a total production of 70,000 metric tons per year.
With this reconstruction, the production capacity of the Luçon plant increases by 50%, i.e. 24,000 tonnes of mozzarella in a full year (compared to 16,000 tonnes previously). This represents a collection of 200 million litres of milk, or the equivalent of the milk production of 300 farmer members from the south of the Pays de la Loire region and the north of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. This project strengthens the Co-operative’s local roots, as close as possible to its farmer members.