The Netherlands | Gerrit Kleinhout, the CEO of Denkavit in France, is highly enthusiastic about his time spent working in Atlantic France. He mentions the support given by Business Solutions Atlantic France, an ideal location as well as the added bonus of a warmer climate than Holland, the country where Denkavit originates from!
Denkavit is a family owned Dutch company which has been producing high-quality feed for young animals since the 1950s. In 1994 they located a French subsidiary in Montreuil-Bellay, Atlantic France.
The enterprise originally started their journey in France in 1972 with subsidiaries in Normandy and Atlantic France, but later decided to move all their operations to the latter; a region “which is not too far from our clients nor from our suppliers of raw materials for we are using quite a lot of raw materials in the dairy industry, a sector which is very active in the Western part of France.”
A supportive region for the company to grow
The decision to make Montreuil-Bellay the central location for their French factory and move their staff there was an easy one as they felt welcome in the region. Not only this, but Business Solutions Atlantic France gave Denkavit a hand with expanding their business. “We had some aid from the region to construct our offices over here next to our factory”, Gerrit Kleinhout comments.
Moreover, Atlantic France offers many possibilities for the Dutch enterprise, “we can find the place, we find the personnel and we find people to work with. So there are lots of possibilities to expand ourselves in the region.”
Mild weather: one more plus point!
For those entrepreneurs deciding to make the move from a colder climate, Atlantic France has the added benefit of having mild weather. After his experience of living in the region for 23 years Gerrit Kleinhout claims “The climate is super. Not too cold, not too warm!”.
With success stories like that of Denkavit it is clear to see there are many positives to setting up in the region and in the words of Gerrit Kleinhout: “I’d like to say: you’re very welcome!”.
