Since its establishment in November 2022, Fruidor (Solveg group) has been operating at the ZAC d’Aquitaine in Saint-André-de-Cubzac. On March 5, the company welcomed Céline Maquet, the sub-prefect of Blaye. The state representative visited the premises along with several elected officials, including Valérie Guinaudie, president of the CdC du Grand Cubzaguais. Nicolas Rouet, the site director, showcased the impressive facilities that receive 26,000 tonnes of bananas annually, contributing to the group's total of 200,000 tonnes. For the Saint-André-de-Cubzac site, this equates to over 216.6 million bananas, with more than 60% sourced from Martinique and Guadeloupe. Rouet explained, "Every day, six trucks deliver green bananas from Dunkirk. They stay in our ripening rooms for five to seven days before being distributed to wholesalers and large New Aquitaine and Occitanie retailers." After investing 9.5 million euros, the company relocated from Bordeaux to a 17,000m² plot in the economic zone of Saint-André.

The site includes a 4,900m² building with 380m² offices and 30 ventilated ripening rooms. These rooms have a maximum capacity of 32,000 tonnes of bananas annually, including 20% organic. "We have 35 employees on site, most of whom were hired locally. We are very satisfied with our location, which offers many benefits for the company and staff," Rouet added. The site is the most modern within the group, equipped with automatic robotic handling equipment and ergonomic workstations for employee well-being.

Damien Daubenton, the operational director of Sloveg, who was present during the visit, noted that the group has 800 employees across several sites and generates 300 million euros in turnover. He added, "We occupy 30% of the banana market and are also the leading marketer of bananas in France." The Solveg group is also known for its packaging-free marketing approach, opting for simple wrapping instead.

The Saint-André site, like the entire group, is committed to environmental preservation and sustainable development. The building has 1500m² of photovoltaic panels that meet up to 18% of the site's needs. The ripening rooms are low consumption, the refrigerant (ammonia) emits zero greenhouse gases, and the green spaces are equipped with water recuperators. "We have significantly reduced losses and waste," says Fruidor. Non-marketable but perfectly edible bananas are donated to charitable associations, while others are sent for composting or methanation to produce gas.