In Istres, Productys takes off in the flow management market

New establishment opened to position itself in new markets

Productys, which specializes in production management and tracking and real-time logistics flow management, reached another milestone in 2019 with its expansion to Istres. The region is known for its prominence of aeronautics, logistics and manufacturing businesses, making it a prime growth target in southern France. The arrival in Provence went smoothly for the software publisher, thanks in part to the help received from Provence Promotion with its real estate search and HR strategy.

Productys has built its reputation on Manufacturing Execution System (MES), its flagship solution which it offers in SaaS mode or via a classic licensing arrangement. The software makes it possible to track every last detail in the production cycle for beer or milk, the manufacturing of aircraft parts, the management of extra-large components for ocean liners or the handling of unusual shipments. The company was founded in 2005 in the Loire-Atlantique area, where it made a name for itself in the Saint-Nazaire manufacturing zone. Now it has set its sights on conquering the markets of southern France with the 2019 opening of a second site at the Tubé industry park in Istres.

The groundwork had been laid by the team at Provence Promotion who assisted the small business with real estate decisions and supported its hiring strategy. "I discovered Provence Promotion at the SITL trade show in 2016. They came with me on site visits and introduced me to local stakeholders. I also benefited from the Ardan recruitment assistance program with training support," enthuses Stéphane Crepet, Chairman of Productys. The small business has 10 employees in Saint-Nazaire.

New IT manufacturing security services

The company plans to quickly build out its current staff of five in southern France by adding computer engineers and sales reps. Productys also specializes in the management of concrete plants and in 2020 won a contract with the 25th Air Engineering Regiment in Istres. The deal involves the renovation of a mobile concrete batching plant assigned to all runways. In 2021, the company will delve into the renewable marine energy market to support the installation of wind turbines off the coast of Fos-sur-Mer using Logistys, its management and streamlining software.

Although the small business had the wind taken out of its sails by COVID-19, the company took advantage of the time to develop new tools. "We are going to launch a line of manufacturing cybersecurity services with remote machine diagnostics and predictive maintenance," Stéphane Crepet announces. The head of Productys is also an instructor at Polytech, a technical adviser at the "Factory of the Future" at the Pays de la Loire CCI and Digital Chairman of the "Syndicat national des machines-outils" (France's machine-tools trade union). Productys posted total sales of €900,000 in 2019. Its international business extends to Switzerland, China, Morocco, Tunisia, the United States and Great Britain.