Article : La Nouvelle République, 20 november 2003
Download the original article in french
Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre-based company Berry Services, which specialises in packaging for the ready-to-wear clothing industry, has won an award at the Fatex international trade show.
Lost among some four hundred exhibitors upon arriving at the trade show, the company left with its head held high. This international event held in Pars-Villepinte and aimed at clothing suppliers, awarded seven ‘Façon’ prizes, based on various criteria. The Berry-based business won the jury over in the Customer Services category, with its references and the quality of its services. The company’s director, Jean-Claude Benéteau, who set it up in the Le Fay small business area in 1998 and who has really found his calling in the ready-to-wear sector, was delighted at this result. He explains: “We are specialised in the packaging of industrial goods and this niche has grown steadily, to the point that it now represents 90% of our turnover. We also carry out quality control, tag insertion, ironing, smoothing and garment alterations, in addition to label printing, logistics and distribution.” Berry Services can even supply and manage goods from A to Z, with no action required from the ordering company: “All a customer has to do is call us and tell us what they want, and we take care of everything,” says the director of the Neuvy-based business, which works for both large retail chains and very high-end brands. “We now have genuine know-how in providing services to the ready-to-wear sector.”
One hundred thousand items per week
This specific business activity is inevitably very irregular, and the company, which processes nine out of ten orders in a week, is not able to make long-term forecasts. The workforce adapts to the flow of work, but makes constant progress, with an average of fifty employees, half of whom work on a permanent basis. The staff, primarily comprising women, are mainly recruited locally and receive training in-house. “We have very few machines and the work that we carry out is mainly manual,” says Jean-Claude Benéteau. “We need skilled, conscientious, thorough and versatile people.”
The company now processes one hundred thousand items per week, taking all goods into account, and has an increasing need for space. Following an initial extension in 2001, its facilities will shortly be expanded from 1,500 to 3,000 m². This is a real leap forward, in line with the company’s hopes—the ready-to-wear sector offers tremendous opportunities. Moreover, an international award always enhances a business card.
Jean-Michel Bonnin
