Inaugurated on November 21 in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), the Amipi Foundation factory will help support the diversification of this industrial player recognized as being of public utility, whose mission is to help people in disadvantaged situations. cognitive disability. 4.5 million euros were invested in this 3,600 m² site, replacing a pre-existing unit, which will be retained in order to have additional production capacity.
The Amipi Foundation therefore moved to this new site, last March, its Cholet workforce, which had in the meantime increased from 65 to 90 employees. The group, with six factories located in the Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire regions, benefits from a 6 million euro contract won from Renault for the manufacture of electrical cable harnesses for its new Master utility vehicle. “This represents 140 jobs spread across our six factories, including 25 to 30 positions in Cholet. We needed more space. It was therefore an opportunity to build a new factory and accommodate new activities there.», explains Éric Ferré, director of the Cholet unit.
Industrial diversification of the Cholet site
But the new Cholet factory also houses a work clothing customization workshop on behalf of Mulliez-Flory, a Maine-et-Loire company specializing in professional and image clothing. Electronics is also a path to diversification with a dedicated division, for soldering and banding electronic components for clients such as Vendée-based Tronico and Lacroix Electronics, which has a factory in Beaupréau, not far from Cholet. Finally, Amipi teams also ensure, in the Cholet factory, the assembly of small electronic devices for BIM industries.
These activities are expected to ramp up, with the new factory being sized to accommodate 140 employees in 2026. “Diversification should allow us to be more solid and less dependent on the automobile. We cannot risk seeing our jobs disappear», Adds Jean-Marc Richard, president of the foundation.
In its six factories (Blois, Nantes, Tours, Angers Le Mans and Cholet), Amipi employs 840 employees, 700 of whom have cognitive disabilities, a fairly broad spectrum including dyslexia, dysphasia, dyscalculia, schizophrenia, bipolarity, autistic disorders or Down syndrome. This involves the intervention of neuropsychiatrists, neuroscientists and cognitive science specialists to adapt workstations and learning methods. These people are supported by 130 supervisors for a turnover of nearly 30 million euros.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
