"Regardless of the size of the project that we build, the location where it is realized, or the products that are grown, the projects we realize reflect the investments of the lives of the people in front of us. This is why it requires our full commitment," says Brice Richel, Communication Director at Richel Group, when asked to reflect on the company's 60th anniversary. The company recently celebrated this milestone, and Brice emphasized the importance of the relationship with and support of their clients in achieving this. "We are deeply grateful for the trust they place in us and for the privileged relationship we have with each one of them. These 60 years have been shared with them, making this history theirs as well!"
Richel Group was founded by Pierre Richel in Eygalières in 1964. Initially, they focused on tunnel greenhouses, and throughout the decades, they evolved into an all-round greenhouse builder. From the start of the company, innovation - and manufacturing have been a key part of their business: whether it's the development of the first 50% ventilation on 8m wide multispan in 1972 or the acquisition of their first tubing machine in 1975.
In the late 70's, exports started taking off as Christian Richel, son of Pierre, joined the company after finishing business school. "The French market was not very dynamic at the time, so we started looking abroad. Italy, India, China, Europe, and the Middle East, and the rest of the world followed in the 90s," Brice shares. "It was a different world without fax or internet – orders were written on paper and sent by telex. It must have been challenging, and it educated us in being innovative, flexible and always staying in touch with the clients."
Richel has grown to have 4 subsidiaries: Mexico, Armenia, China, and the US, and 16 sales offices throughout the world. In total, the company has erected over 12,000 hectares of greenhouses, with a current pace of up to 300 hectares of greenhouses per year. Important milestones were the erection of the first Venlo facility in 2001 and the realization of the first Venlo greenhouse with a photovoltaic roof in France in 2007. Another remarkable milestone was the launch of the Optim'air (semi-closed greenhouse) in 2014.
The innovativeness of the company is shown in the development of products relevant to the global industry, such as the oval tubes, the beam gutter, the Richel clips, or the double-inflated greenhouse, which remains a popular technique throughout the world, as it provides higher insulation, making it a durable and efficient solution in many climates.
"Since we manufacture ourselves, we are in control of the quality," says Brice. As an example, he shares how instead of using construction steel with the standard resistance of S250, they opt for high tensile steel S350 or HX420, which is commonly used in automotive. "It increases the strength of our profiles without increasing the weight, making it more performant at a low cost."
Richel has remained a family-owned company since its inception, and despite the horticultural supplying industry being characterized by acquisitions of suppliers by investors, the company continues to be independent. "We have financial partners but remain in charge ourselves. Our vision is long-term, enabling us to bring purpose and trust to our people and our customers. Our clients appreciate it as they see they are dealing with humans who depend on generations of knowledge and shared vision. They feel they are listened to. This is the soul of our company. It also brings great energy among the workers and allows a higher level of performance," Brice says. This was shown in the organization of the celebration as well, which was completely done by the Richel team: from the scheduling and the planning to the decorations on the table.
In total, 3 events have been organized for a total of 750 people: the two of them in Angers and Eygalières were focused on collaborators and their family members. The 3rd one, was the grand celebrations on Friday, gathering 300 guests: the biggest customers, suppliers, partners, and sales teams of Richel. This combination meant a highly international crowd, with visitors from Mexico, USA, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, the Middle East, from all across Europe and every corner of France. Accompanied by their sales representatives, the guests were able to visit the historic manufacturing site in Eygalières, revealing the behind-the-scenes of Richel. The festivities continued with a garden party at the Château de Roussan in Saint Rémy de Provence, where a cocktail dinner was hosted in the courtyard.
President Benjamin Richel traced the group's 60 years of history in a moving speech, after which the new corporate video was shown. The evening was energized by a great music band and lively dances by Brazilian dancers and the night ended on the dance floor. Since it was also a costume party themed 'Back to the sixties', guests wore their finest outfits and accessories for a flower-power atmosphere. "An unforgettable moment of sharing, generosity, and conviviality, an incredible atmosphere. An evening reflecting the spirit of Richel."
For more information:
Richel Group
Quartier de la gare
13810 Eygalieres, France
Tel.: +33 (0) 4 90 95 14 68
Email: [email protected]
www.richel-group.com