Born in Paris to a family working in the fruit and vegetable sector, Olivier Serre (46 years old) is also "marked" with the badge of tradition and a passion for fruits and vegetables. "After working at the Halles de Paris, my parents set up Lebland et Serre, a company dealing in fruits and vegetables, at Rungis Market when it opened. I have an international business diploma from the EPSCI - an ESSEC Group school - and completed my studies in the USA and the United Kingdom. After a spell working in the industrial sector, I joined the family company as a specialist in heavy vegetables (leeks, carrots, cabbage, endives, etc.) in 1984, and was put in charge of sales to major retail outlets. With the business starting to grow, I set myself up in the warehouses of our subsidiary, ECAM. In 1998, I took over the management of our pre-packaging station, which involved redesigning and modernising the whole set-up. Thanks to the Semmaris, we were able to move into larger premises with a surface area of about 1,500 m2. We automated our production lines in order to supply major retail outlets (99%), mostly in France, and also partly in Europe. We have five production lines with automatic weighing facilities equipped with Girsac and, since two years, D.Pack. We also deal in punnet packaging, according to various weight ranges. As a contract packaging manufacturer, we work to customer demand. Our products are stamped with our name or that of our customers. We only work with the best sources and quality products which are all fully traceable (date, batch number, etc.).

Our machines are checked regularly and replaced every three years. ECAM has ECOCERT certification and has successfully completed HACCP system training. I have a reliable and efficient twelve-strong team, all of whom have long-standing service histories with the company; some of them have been with us for over twenty years. Our flagship products are citrus fruits (75%), including limes (4 tonnes per day), out-of-season oranges, apples, mangoes, Madagascan lychees (400 tonnes per season, i.e. 30 days). We package some 6 million units per year, with a peak capacity of 100 Girsac (kg) per minute. We have packaged all the fruits and vegetables for Mark's and Spencer France and are one of the last two independent companies in the Ile-de-France. Rungis is in the process of being modernised and is set to become a highly efficient logistics centre. Thanks to the innovative spirit of its operators, Rungis Market is resolutely facing the future."