Pouzauges, France-based packaging machinery company Mecapack is on track to completely restarting its business after a massive facility fire in March.
Mecapack produces a complete line of thermoforming and sealing machinery for use in a range of food processing industries – including seafood. The company, which has existed for over 75 years, launched its work in agro-food packaging in the 1970s and has since built expertise in the packaging industry.
Mecapack offers a variety of packaging solutions for different industries, including consumer goods, spreadable dip cups, pharmaceuticals and medical products, and an array of food products. It can create packaging equipment and solutions for seafood products – including both shellfish and fish fillets – and offers complete lines of tray packaging applications, including sealed or thermoformed trays, flexible-rigid packaging with or without modified atmospheres, and SKIN packaging.
The company manufactured its equipment at a 4,500-square-meter facility in Pouzauges, France until the building was burned in a fire on 28 March, bringing production to a standstill.
“The main building was almost completely destroyed in the fire,” Mecapack Communication Manager Clemence Couillaud told SeafoodSource. “We were able to save the basement, which allowed us to recover some machinery and spare parts stored there after assessment.”
According to Couillaud, the fire was caused by a malfunctioning electronic device in the facility. Local news reports indicate 20 emergency centers deployed resources to the fire, and no employee was hurt in the emergency. However, 230 employees that worked at the facility were affected by the loss of the facility.
“Insurance will cover the building, destroyed assets, and lost revenue since the fire was deemed accidental,” Couillaud said.
Couillaud told SeafoodSource the company had a crisis management team running within hours of the incident to maintain the company’s business continuity for its customers.
“This plan focused on keeping our after-sales service running for customers while continuing our ongoing projects. We've done extensive timeline reassessment to manage the impact of reconstruction on machine deliveries,” Couillaud said.
The timing of the fire came as Mecapack had recently launched what Couillaud described as an ambitious international expansion strategy targeting the North American, Spanish, and North African markets. That plan included establishing new local subsidiaries in the regions to better serve customers and orient the company’s manufacturing around specific market needs for those regions.
The company emphasizes its ability to create flexible packaging solutions with the ability to rapidly change formats in under 10 minutes, allowing companies packaging food to maintain higher production times. It also said its machines are designed to be as simple to operate as possible to reduce learning curves, lower training costs, and make it easier to operate production efficiently.
The company’s plan to expand its offerings to new markets has been put on a temporary hold since the fire, as it lost much of its equipment and its ability to manufacture certain products.
“Unfortunately, the building can't be used as is. Since the fire, our teams have relocated to another operational site called ‘MECA 2,’ which was originally our machine assembly facility and is completely separate from the damaged building,” Couillaud said.
Couillaud said that the company has already identified a new site that will eventually house all of the company’s existing operations.
“As for the fire-damaged location, we're conducting a technical study to determine whether rebuilding on the original site is feasible,” Couillaud said.
Progress has been swift, and Couillaud said the company will be fully operational in its new building by the end of June.
“By the end of summer, we expect to be back at full production capacity,” Couillaud said. “This restart represents a major milestone in Mecapack's recovery.”
Couillaud said throughout the company’s journey after the fire, its customers have been “incredibly supportive” of its efforts to return to operations as quickly as possible.
“Beyond many expressions of solidarity, several partners have taken concrete action – providing equipment, facilities, or maintaining orders while voluntarily accepting delayed delivery schedules,” Couillaud said. “This strong support has been crucial in keeping our business running.”
