The Longevity and Legacy of the Isigny Sainte-Mère Cooperative: A 49-Year Journey

The cooperative Isigny Sainte-Mère was created by 42 farmers in 1932, the result of the merger between two local cooperatives, those of Isigny-sur-Mer (in Calvados but on the edge of the Manche) and Sainte-Mère-Église (Manche) which had was incorporated in 1909.

Returned as an intern 49 years ago

In 1947, the new cooperative began manufacturing milk powders by building the very first spray drying tower in France on its main site in Isigny-sur-Mer.

We came from a modest family from Brix. I was the last of seven children.

“I lived in North Cotentin. I studied at Nancy (Editor’s note at the École Nationale Supérieure en Agronomy et Industries Alimentaires) and when I passed in front of this tower, she made me dream. She was the one who illustrated dairy industry manuals,” says Daniel Delahaye, whose parents were farmers in Brix.

« I joined the cooperative as an intern 49 years and 3 months ago. And I was asked to stay. It is a great astonishment for me to have stayed there for so long,” assures Daniel Delahaye who rose through the ranks to become general manager. And this for 32 years!

“Mr. Delahaye did half of the history of the cooperative », Notes Arnaud Fossey, milk producer in Saint-Georges-de-Bohon (Manche) and president of the cooperative since 2015. “We only had three directors. This proves real stability,” he underlines in passing.

This longevity is no coincidence.

The president greets “ the impressive development » that the small Calvado-Manche cooperative has known “for 20 or 30 years” under the leadership of Daniel Delahaye.

But while retaining “its fundamentals: butter, cream, local produce, our AOP and infant milk powder of which we have real expertise,” cites Arnaud Fossey in particular. “Mr. Delahaye succeeded in making know our brand around the world », continues the president.

The brand in 180 countries

Because, in a high-class VRP, Daniel Delahaye traveled around the world to praise the quality of Isigny Sainte-Mère products and its high-end differentiation in a competitive market.

“I saw people in Taiwan sending a courier to buy two croissants with Isigny butter. It is amazing. I wish producers would have seen that! “, he says. From now on, Isigny Sainte-Mère stamped products are present in 180 countries!

I’ve traveled in car trunks before. There is always a risk of not coming back.

In recent months, Daniel Delahaye, who shared the general direction and the same office with his successor Gérald Andriot, made a farewell world tour and “passing the baton”: “ We did three trips around the world, in five stages. It was extremely riche », savors Gérald Andriot.

Daniel Delahaye inspires the entire cooperative the importance of the customer. One of the qualities of this captain of industry is his kindnessson humanity. “I saw him welcome customers from all over the world with very friendly and sincere hugs and handshakes,” says Arnaud Fossey, admiring “ his ability to get along with all cultures. »

However, one of the most important moments that Daniel Delahaye highlights is obtaining the AOP butter and cream of Isigny in 1986. “It was the holy grail for the company. It made it possible to build around it and counter usurpations from other manufacturers. More than that, “it gave us a global requirement, to all producers, to all employees. But it comes out the capital gain. »

Three ceremonies in his honor

The cooperative did not organize one but three ceremonies in tribute to Daniel Delahaye: the first with 650 employees ; the second with 350 producers and the last with 500 clients of which approximately 150 foreigners! “These are moments of great emotion,” assures the former general director.

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