New arrivals in the "Invest in Provence" community

The 2017 edition of the evening "Invest in Provence" took place in the village of brands McArthurGlen Provence in Miramas

Successfully convincing companies to invest in the Aix-Marseille Provence metropolitan area and in the Pays d'Arles is the main mission of the Provence Promotion economic development agency. Each year, while around sixty establishment projects are completed, the "Invest in Provence" evening offers a friendly, special setting for new arrivals to discuss ideas with other companies already won over by Provence for developing their business. In 2017, the event took place at the Miramas brand village. The managers received the "Invest in Provence" label from the President of the agency, Jean-Luc Chauvin, and Vice President, Béatrice Aliphat. It is a way to promote their investments and mark their entry into the community of entrepreneurs in Provence. Discover the event in words and images...

While Provence Promotion aims to highlight the economic attributes of Provence in France and around the world, the "Invest in Provence" evening wins the hearts of the new arrivals each year, who are happy to take part in the event. In 2016, the agency helped to complete 60 investment projects, half of which were launched by foreign companies. It is important to welcome these new faces in the economic landscape after having assisted them in establishing themselves.   

The "Invest in Provence" evening, which took place on Friday September 8, met this objective. It was an opportunity to bring them together and invite them to a new site that is representative of the area's attractiveness, the McArthurGlen Design Outlet Provence brand village in Miramas.

In the VIP area, Jean-Luc Chauvin, President of the Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry and of Provence Promotion, welcomed everyone and recalled several success stories and notable investments from 2016: McArthurGlen, Safran, ADF, Groupe Charles André… Béatrice Aliphat, Vice President of the agency, Council Member of the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolitan Area, representative for Industry and Energy Systems, recognized the importance of their decisions, which attest to the competitiveness of the area in various business sectors. These companies found four essential engines for their development: growth, diversification, openness to the world, and well-being for their employees.

Entrepreneur testimonials

Concerned with selecting the right location for their businesses, investors believe it is just as important to be established in an area that opens up doors to them and assists them with their plans. That is what Michela Frattini explained during her speech at the Invest in Provence evening as she recounted the history of McArthur Glen's investment in Provence. "The plan was completed here in record time. It took just seven years thanks to the organizations and local government bodies' efforts to obtain the necessary authorizations for us, thereby facilitating our establishment."

The experience also proves that innovation in the area plays an important role in attracting new investments. UL, the American certification giant, created its European financial transaction security laboratory in La Ciotat in 2016, using the area's skills in micro-electronics and secure payments. "Our objective is to be able to expand our team in Provence and increase its workforce to 50 employees," said Bruno Mussard, Senior Security Project Manager for the UL subsidiary, assisted by Provence Promotion in its search for offices.

One of the agency's business lines is also connecting potential investors with their ecosystems and beyond. That is how Tus-classes, the Spanish specialist in individual online courses, implemented its plan to win over the French market with help from the agency through an acquisition transaction. Provence Promotion's Invest in Provence evening is also intended to create new business opportunities. Philippe Stéfanini, Chief Executive Officer of the agency, said, "Each year, we offer managers an opportunity to communicate amongst each other. Their first point in common is having selected this area for developing their business, but we know that there might also be other synergies. We therefore encourage them to become even more firmly anchored in Provence."

All the pictures here ! >>> Link to the photo album Soirée "Invest in Provence" 2017