Coming from Molsheim (67) - an Alsace commune famous for its historic legacy and Bugatti museum - Pierre Feidt (65 years old) has been a Christmas tree producer for decades...
"I started work right after primary school, with my father Charles, an early fruit wholesaler. Every day we collected some 25 to 30 tonnes in our region, for jam makers and distilleries. The work day was very long sometimes more than fifteen hours.
After military service, I continued for myself and I developed my business by going down to buy in the Midi. Being a workaholic, when I was 21, I created a Christmas tree business in parallel. Then in 1970, I left the fruit market to set up a company making concrete blocks, while keeping Christmas trees and fuelwood. I
sold Christmas trees at the Halles de Paris but it wasn't big at the time. Sales really took off with the opening of the Rungis Market. Initially, I bought trees in Belgium and then I went to the Morvan, a very rich region. I finished up buying land to produce them myself, and for fifteen years I've been growing Nordmann and spruce. For the end of season sales, I employ some ten seasonal workers to cut, skid, and pallet them for sending to Rungis. On average I sell 20,000 trees a year with a good half at Rungis and all top quality. I mainly supply to retail florists.
The Nordmann sells best, about 80% against 20% for spruce, especially 1.50/1.80m high, with net and half-log foot. The sizes run from 0.80m to 2.25m by 0.25m steps up to 4m as biggest. Coming from Denmark, fifteen years ago, the Nordmann doesn't drop its needles like spruce, but it costs more. Every two years, I plant 10,000 to 15,000 trees. While the market remains stable, competition is getting fiercer with hypermarkets which only buy second and third quality.
Rungis is essential and remains a great outlet due to its fame. Just as the Christmas tree is the king of the forest, Rungis is the king of the markets…".
Aside from Christmas trees, Pierre Feidt has a very soft spot for deluxe Bugattis, which is quite normal in Molsheim, the town where Ettore Bugatti built his first cars in 1908.
