“You had to believe it, I believed it and I was right to believe it. »Thierry Picquart was moved, Saturday at the end of the afternoon, by officially inaugurating the Karting de Chartres (KDC) which opened its doors for the first time, a year ago, and closed them quickly because of the restrictions. health related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
I tested the electric karting of Chartres for you
“It all followed four very intense years. When you create a business, you know when it starts, but you never know when it will end, ”relates this Nantes boss, known in Eure-et-Loir for having made the Nypro company in Fontenay-sur-Eure grow, specializing in the manufacture of medical devices and food packaging. Until activity fell and the American group Nypro Monde suddenly decided to close its only factory in France.
Thierry Picquart creates high-end karting at the Jardin d’Entreprises in Chartres
Thierry Picquart was then illustrated by a management considered by many as exemplary of the reclassification of almost all of his employees. The former vice-president of Medef in Eure-et-Loir then launched at full speed, in his project to build a circuit for electric karts at the gates of Chartres.
An investment of 4.5 million euros
“I worked both on this complex and on other business takeover projects, but it didn’t go through to the end. As I progressed on this karting project, I felt that it would go to the end, despite the difficulties. “
The pandemic has seriously complicated matters.
“We started work three weeks after the start of containment. We met all the deadlines. The buildings were delivered in November 2020. We opened two weeks later. We were first allowed to open for minors. We were forced to close in mid-January until June. All this, without being accompanied or very little financially, because we were a young company. We got away with it because we saved money. “Inauguration of the Chartres karting with its boss Thierry Picquart.
Thierry Picquart and his associates have all the same invested 4.5 million euros between the purchase of land, the architect, the construction of the buildings, the equipment of the site. “I had equity from the sale of shares when the factory was closed. Rather than buying an apartment or investing the money, I put everything into my business. “
The end of the Nypro site in Fontenay-sur-Eure filmed and screened during the C’Chartres Business evening
Thierry Picquart had difficulty in being followed in his project by the banks. “Not so much on operations, but it was complicated on real estate. While I was told that my project was very well put together and serious, I was called back six months later to tell me that I was not being followed in the financing, ”he recalls.
Already 12,000 members
“I decided to hire a broker who accompanied me in formatting the presentation of my project. I also called on partners for the real estate part, which allowed me to take the leap. Otherwise it wouldn’t have worked. We had considered a budget and we spent less, without necessarily tearing all the contracts. My associates are professionals specializing in building and infrastructure. This is why we were able to bring out a project which, according to the banks, was 30% below market prices. It turned out that we kept our commitments and we even spent € 200,000 less than what was initially planned.
The repetition rate, which is a little below two in France each year in this type of structure, is over ten with us.
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Thierry Picquart indicates that attendance at karting “is a hit. We have more than 12,000 members, that is to say people who came at least once in the year. It’s enormous. The repetition rate, which is a little below two in France each year in this type of structure, is over ten with us. 50% of the indoor electric karting clientele are people who would never have done traditional karting, especially women and children, because there is no noise, no smell, it is ultra-secure ”. On the other hand, it is more difficult for the catering part, he regrets.
Thierry Picquart does not intend to stop there. He aims to duplicate his project all over France and “beyond”. The Chartres karting will then be a good showcase for banks and investors who would be tempted to follow it.
Francois Feuilleux
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