What are URIAGE's different activities?

Franck ANDREU: URIAGE's entire activity revolves around the thermal spring water of the same name. The water's unique mineral content gives it moisturizing, soothing and healing properties. Used in the spa for 200 years, it was at the heart of the development of the brand and laboratory, which were created in 1992. The industrial sites were created in 2002. The dermo-cosmetics activity began at Uriage-les-Bains, and the growth of the business over the years meant that more and more activities had to be transferred to the Échirolles site.

Today, the Échirolles site is home to most of URIAGE's laboratories?

FA: Yes, we have maintained our quality control activities at Uriage-les-Bains, with two laboratories for physico-chemical and bacteriological control, as well as aerosol packaging of thermal spring water. Around ten people work here. The Échirolles site, meanwhile, employs almost 200 people and now manages all production and logistics activities, as well as all support functions.

What was the need for the construction of a packaging area by VÊPRES ?

FA: Since its creation, the Échirolles site has required several extensions. By 2008, the site had already grown from 10,500 m² to 12,500 m². When I arrived in 2015, the site was once again saturated and I proposed an overall extension of 9,000 m². The project enabled us to successively develop logistics and manufacturing. At the same time, we also modified our organization to balance capacity between manufacturing and packaging.

What are the characteristics of this conditioning zone?

FA: The packaging areas require less stringent standards than the manufacturing areas, but they still need to meet ISO 8 standards, i.e. a clean, controlled environment. We work with potentially contaminated products, and we also have to comply with our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy. The cosmetics industry is committed to reducing the number and concentration of preservatives, which means we need to control our manufacturing and packaging environments even more closely.

Proximity is one of Uriage's values: did this dimension weigh in the choice of VÊPRES ?

FA : Yes, this data is part of our CSR approach, but more broadly, it is part of an industrial strategy. In general, we make sure that the companies that work with us are local and of the right size. URIAGE is somewhat comparable to VÊPRES in this: we are both "big SMEs", so we understand each other. We know how to be in our place and the values that prevail with us are proximity, responsiveness, agility and audacity.

Values that VÊPRES demonstrated for this project?

FA: Absolutely. I wanted to talk to them because I'd read several glowing articles about them, and I'd received positive feedback through various channels from previous projects they'd carried out. Their offer was interesting and, regardless of the price, I quickly perceived their professionalism and ability to listen. They got back to us quickly, raising the right questions, which gave us confidence. Today, the project is complete, and I have no regrets at all about my choice!

Was meeting deadlines an important issue?

FA : It still is! The deadlines for this project were, in my opinion, reasonable to be delivered under "normal conditions". But the tensions were linked to the increase in the price of materials and supply difficulties. But this is also where the strength of a local and human-sized company lies, in its ability to be agile and to adapt to hazards. Accustomed to dealing with many constraints, VÊPRES was able to be pragmatic and accommodating in carrying out this project.