in Bourges, the growing company La Bovida will expand its premises

Founded in La Courneuve in 1921, La Bovida, a company of the Hefed group, is a name well known to food and restaurant professionals to whom it supplies kitchen equipment and utensils as well as spices, marinades, sauces, wholemeal and cooking aids.

In 2002, the company left the Paris region where it lacked space to settle at the Subdray in Bourges. It transferred its logistics site, administrative services and spice production workshops there. One hundred and fifty employees work there.

Due to the steady growth of its activity since 2002, its logistics site of 11,000 m2 is reaching saturation point and represents a brake on its development. For two years, the company has therefore worked on an expansion project corresponding to its needs for the next ten years. It will include a 5,700 m² extension as well as a new 1,300 m² office building. The cost of this project amounts to 20 million euros.

Compete with the giants of online commerce

Taking into account the environmental constraints, the choice was made to construct a building that is smaller but higher (20 meters of useful height under the ceiling) and equipped with an automated process. Work begins in July for delivery in October 2022. “The objective is to have a powerful tool to be able to compete with the giants of online commerce”, Explains Olivier Hennel, president of the Hefed group.

The prolonged closure of restaurants and the slowdown in collective catering impacted sales of equipment and utensils. “But the craftsmen worked more, which allowed us to compensate. We managed to catch up and finish the year 2020 correctly”Says Mr. Hennel.

As for individuals, sales increased in around twenty La Bovida stores, including one in Bourges, despite three months of closure in 2020. During the successive confinements, the French spent more time at home and cooked more. . La Bovida is also opening two new stores: one in June in Dijon and another in September in Brive-La-Gaillarde.

Olivier Hennel says he is confident: “SIn the first quarter of 2021, we are up 10% compared to 2019. The restaurants are reopening, we are in a good dynamic.”

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