André SA, Swiss manufacturer of timber building frames and joinery products, sets up at Moncley (25) with the support of AER BFC

11 June 2019 Investissement Bois Share :

The Swiss company ANDRÉ SA was founded in 1898 and specializes in carpentry and joinery. The company currently has 80 staff and a turnover of 20 million Swiss francs in 2016.

In late 2017, Béatrice Joly, AER BFC project manager, made contact with the firm which was planning to expand its production capacity to meet the growing needs of its market. As the expansion could not be made in Switzerland, the firm was looking for opportunities in France, but within reasonable range of its head office. AER BFC converted its expectations into specifications and proposed several possible sites in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté including the one André SA finally selected.

The Swiss company created the French subsidiary XYLO in June 2018, at Moncley (300 inhabitants), in the Doubs, enabling it to extend its market radius to France. Xylo rents a 1000 m2 shed and has invested €1.6 million in setting up two imposing CNC machines. These premises enable the firm to industrialize the production of construction frame parts that were previously produced on a small scale. This is an important challenge enabling the firm to cut production times to meet customer needs.

The subsidiary plans to create some 10 jobs within three years and to achieve turnover of €1.5 million. It hopes to extend its activities in France selling prefabricated components to construction frame-makers who do not have the requisite plant and equipment. The project is recognized and supported by BPI France.

Le 23 novembre dernier, Arnaud MARTHEY, président de l’AER BFC, était présent à l’inauguration de ce nouveau site de production aux côtés de Christian EGGENBERGER, Administrateur et Président d’ANDRÉ SA qui déclarait alors « Nous sommes heureux de nous implanter en Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, pour la bonne réputation de sa filière bois et la certitude de trouver une main d’œuvre de qualité grâce à ses formations d’excellence ». L’Est Républicain, 24/11/2018.