Course set for further growth

Royal Canin has invested 9 mio euro in its new Campus, located in the centre of the province of Languedoc. The new building complex houses about 135 persons in the factory, 38 in the R&D- division – including more than 25 vets and nutritional specialists – the French operational staff, and the export department.  Worldwide, the company has almost 1400 employees, 46 per cent of whom are based outside France.
The main building.
The 17 000 m² production plant, which stands out from the campus even at a distance, is one of three plants operated by Royal Canin in France. While the Moulins production site, which is up for sale, is devoted exclusively to the manufacture of private-label products and the Cambrai plant serves the Northern and Central European market, the food produced at Aimargues is destined solely for Southern Europe and for export overseas. Royal Canin also has factories in the USA, Brazil and Argentina, and further production plants are planned in South Africa and Russia.       
The “Campus of the 3rd Millennium”.
In spite of its international character, Royal Canin has strong links with southern France. The company has its roots there, and Royal Canin is firmly anchored there. The decision to establish the new campus in Aimargues thus also pays homage to the region. Royal Canin was set up in 1967 by a vet from the small town of Gallargues, just a few kilometres away from its present company offices. Three years later came the production plant that still operates in Aimargues today. This has been expanded continuously and updated over the years, and manufactures 150 000 t of pet food per year in round-the-clock production. The capacity utilisation rate of the factory is more than 90 per cent, with a just-in-time lean-production strategy being deployed. Products remain in two quick-turn warehouses attached to the factory normally for no more than two to three days prior to delivery by haulage firms. 
Seven packaging machines ensure speedy handling.
Royal Canin’s two production plants in Cambrai and Aimargues have the same high quality standards. They boast state-of-the-art, automated production facilities that are pro-bably rare in the pet food industry and offer the following processes:
Micronized grinding to reach a level of fineness that improves product digestibility, palatability and appearance at the same time;
Twin-screw extrusion for better control of temperature and pressure to secure the maximum level of digestibility and…