Change of Region for CFC Transports' Diversification

The company makes its energy transition by equipping itself with gas vehicles

CFC Transports made the decision to locate its logistics hub at Saint-Martin de Crau in 2017, bringing the Occitania-based company closer to its pallet-hire and agri-business customers. Construction of the logistics warehouse is starting in 2018. Provence Promotion provided support to the 20-staff SME in its search for real estate, an increasingly rare commodity for logistics companies. An interview with Philippe Curel, manager of CFC Transports, which saw sales of €3.2M in 2017.

CFC Transports had been based in Frontignan since its creation in 2007. Why, ten years later, did you decide to change regions and come to Provence?

For nearly five years, I've been looking for land around Saint-Martin de Crau, since my main customer, the pallet hire company LPR, had extended our contract to include both Occitania and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, so CFC Transports now covers a zone stretching from Toulouse to Monaco. LPR has had a storage site at Saint-Martin de Crau for six years and I wanted to be closer to them.  

Provence Promotion helped me with my real-estate search right up until I signed for the 5000 sq.m. site on the Bois de Leuze Industrial Zone. We already have two offices in the Zone. We'll be building our headquarters there plus 1200 sq.m. of warehouse for which we already have people interested. This new site will allow us to diversify our business.

Which diversification avenues are you following?

I want to widen my client portfolio by locating closer to the big retail chains and agri-business stakeholders in the region. We already have some contracts, thanks to the flexibility a small company like ours can provide and to the proximity with the key accounts located in and around Saint-Martin de Crau and Distriport. We hope this will allow us to create fifteen or so new jobs over the next three years.

CFC Transports has a fleet of around fifteen tractor units, two trucks, thirty or so Tautliner and a dozen flat semi-trailers.

What strategy do you intend to pursue at your new location?

Environmental friendliness and "green" logistics are two of the values I intend carrying forward as part of my development strategy. I have just signed for the purchase of my first LPG-powered vehicle –a 460-HP Iveco tractor- which will be delivered in April, 2018. I'm one of the first haulage firms to purchase the truck with this power unit, which provides a range of 1500 km. It cost €40,000, more than for the diesel version, but I'm prepared to take the risk to keep my customers and attract other businesses concerned about image and interested in non-polluting transport options. I also qualify for an extension to the super-amortization of 140% until the end of the year. In addition to this incentive, the ADEME gives transport companies investing in a fleet of LPG-powered vehicles a €10,000 check. Proviridis is opening an LPG gas station soon at Saint-Martin de Crau, 2km from our base, and we intend replacing 20% of our fleet with LPG-powered vehicles during 2018.