A new hall named "the Cube"

At the heart of the project stands a 1,200 m² assembly hall, nicknamed "the Cube" because of its shape. With its 13.5-metre ceiling height and its overhead cranes, it hosts the largest machines for end-of-process operations: assembly, adjustments, trials and Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) carried out in the presence of clients. This extension completes a first 1,800 m² expansion delivered in 2019. The industrial site now reaches 6,500 m².

The project also made it possible to fully rethink production flows. Cetec reorganized them along a linear logic, from machining through to final testing, in order to gain efficiency.

1.2 million euros devoted to equipment

Nearly 1.2 million euros funded new industrial equipment. Among the additions are a Trumpf laser cutting machine, a four-axis Somab machining centre and an electromagnetic powder coating booth. With energy efficiency in mind, Cetec also fitted the Cube with a 1,000 m² photovoltaic roof. A solar canopy will soon complete the setup, with the ambition of reaching 60 % electrical autonomy on site.

Growth driven by exports and innovation

With revenue of 17 million euros and around a hundred employees, Cetec designs and builds its machines from start to finish. Historically rooted in pet food, which still accounts for 40 % of its business, the company has diversified into infant nutrition, seeds, sugar and chemicals. It claims more than 3,000 machines installed worldwide and files one to two patents each year. Its latest innovations, such as the Just'In Bag and the Slimbagger, reduce packaging material consumption, an advantage the company highlights as the PPWR regulation approaches.

This continuity shows clearly in the inauguration itself: founders Michel and Jean-Claude Labrue, aged 86 and 88, attended to open the extension alongside Régis Labrue, Michel's son and current CEO.

Source: L'Usine Nouvelle (Tiziano Polito), 23 June 2026.