NatéoSanté, laureate of the France Relance fund!

The project to build a production site in Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons, where the head office of the company (which specialises in professional air purifiers with HEPA filters) has been located since 2015, has been selected by the French state and the Pays de la Loire Regional Council. It will receive financial support as part of the fund for the acceleration of industrial investments in the French regions. Interview with Thierry Ricci, founder and director of NatéoSanté, who explains the main steps of the project, which includes the creation of a third place and a skills centre to capitalise on collective intelligence.

Thierry Ricci, Founder and director of NatéoSanté

At the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic since the spring of 2020, what is the situation at NatéoSanté today?

Thierry Ricci: "NatéoSanté has been working on air quality for over ten years. The company's approach is not opportunistic in this particular situation of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Covid-19 has acted as a factor in accelerating the general public's awareness and the necessary changes in our behaviour towards the planet.

We experienced strong growth in 2020 with 50 countries served for export. Our growth continues in the first quarter of 2021. Nevertheless, this is still an emerging market where there is strong competition that is becoming more organised. We are pioneers, our technologies are innovative, proven and eco-friendly: clients looking for quality and performance most often choose our professional air purifier EOLIS Air Manager. Tests conducted by an independent laboratory have shown that it is 99.6% effective against coronavirus.

Last February, NatéoSanté delivered 300 EOLIS Air Managers for schools in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. We have just started to equip the Ile de France region, a local authority that identified us as a designer and manufacturer specialising in indoor air purification. We had ten employees at the beginning of 2020. We are now sixteen with two open positions: one for technician and another one for sales assistant."

A recognition of the creation of NatéoSanté's industrial tool!

What is your prevailing feeling after NatéoSanté was one of the winners in Pays de la Loire of the fund for the acceleration of industrial investments in the French regions?

Thierry Ricci: "Twenty-one new laureates were announced on 23 April and NatéoSanté is indeed one of them in the Pays de Loire region. Beyond the financial aspect, it is first and foremost a recognition of the creation of our own industrial tool, in respect of the environment, in line with the work and values of an entire team!"

NatéoSanté will build a production site near its headquarters by 2023

Can you tell us a bit more about the project presented and selected?

Thierry Ricci: "It relates to the construction of a production site in an eco-responsible building in Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons (44 - France), where NatéoSanté's head office, already bioclimatic, has been located since 2015. The aim is to control our value chain, our costs and to continue to guarantee the quality of our solutions in line with our commitment to sustainable development. We will thus maintain our approach focused on 100% Made In France manufacturing and the environment, while perpetuating the activity and long-term presence in our territory, with the ambition of generating a dozen jobs.

NatéoSanté is working on a new range of products for 2022: it will be complementary to the current range. With our own production site, we will be able to increase our volumes, again in collaboration with our current partners."

Relying on collective intelligence for the environment, health, air quality...

What is the second stage of the project?

Thierry Ricci: "In a second phase, the site will be able to offer integration to other companies that share the same values and wish to promote French quality in order to ensure a constant load. A complementary way of securing jobs linked to manufacturing. The concept supported and defended is in the spirit of an industrial third place, environmentally friendly, to promote synergies and anchoring in the Pays de Retz territory.

We are located between Nantes and Pornic or even Saint-Nazaire. Such a centre of expertise will provide an alternative to travelling to the major cities. "

The ambition goes beyond the mere construction of a building...

Thierry Ricci: "The idea is to put collective intelligence into it, to give it a Fablab dimension, to be able to carry out actions of general interest such as making young girls aware of the sciences, of industrial jobs... in line with NatéoSanté's CSR commitments and values: we devote our energy to depolluting the air and protecting health, which are to be considered as common goods.

Our environmental and societal choices are proven: our professional air purifiers are eco-designed, with low consumption and guaranteed to be harmless. Our production ecosystem is regional to limit transport and related CO2 emissions.

Parity is respected within the company, including in management and salary positions. The recruitment policy will continue in this direction. "

Projects with a strong economic and societal impact

The France Relance scheme aims to provide public support to industrial players in France with two main inputs:

• Maintaining international competitiveness
• Meeting the major challenges of the sector: modernisation of the productive fabric, ecological transition, resilience of the value chain, social inclusion