1968 Creation of the CECAB

The CECAB group was created in 1968 through the union of five cooperatives from the Morbihan region in North-West France. At that time, the group was mainly involved in the following activities :
  • Production of cereals, potatoes, vegetables, pigs
  • processing: canned food
  • services: collection, transport and storage of agricultural production, supply and technical follow-up of farms.

The CECAB group quickly increased its number of members and agricultural production, firstly in the Morbihan area, then later extending outside the département and the region. It also invested in the necessary resources to process and market its members' productions.
1979 Acquisition of d'Aucy

The acquisition of d'Aucy led to the setting up of the Groupe Conserve (canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, canned ready-made meals and pet food).

Canned vegetables
The CECAB joined the Union Fermière Morbihannaise (UFM) cooperative in Locminé (Morbihan) for canned vegetable production, and the Compagnie Générale de Conserve (CGC) for their marketing.
  • 1974: acquisition of the Conserverie Morbihannaise in Lanvénégen (Morbihan)
  • 1979: major stake acquired in the Compagnie Générale de Conserve (CGC), owner of the d'Aucy brand.
  • 1984: stake acquired in the Conserverie Depenne
  • 1990: acquisition of a cannery in Spain,
  • acquisition of the Conserverie Peny in Saint -Thurien
    (Finistère in North-West France)

  • 1992: construction of Val d'Aucy in Ciel (Saône-et-Loire)
  • 1999: takeover of three plants from Boutet Nicolas.
  • 2004 : acquisition of CBA activities
  • 2006 : acquisition of Globus group in Hungary
The Group has been a leader in industrial vegetable production since 1984. D'Aucy is the leading canned food brand in France on the canned vegetable market for the general public. In less than 20 years, Groupe Conserve has climbed to the top of the ranking of canned vegetable manufacturers.

This development in the canned vegetables business provides CECAB with new resources and new openings into businesses which have similar technology (ready-to-eat meals, canned dog and cat food) or type of products (frozen).


Frozen vegetables
In 1969, CECAB acquired SICA Saint Yves for its frozen vegetables business, forming Cecagel, which later became Bretagne Surgel in 1979, then the Compagnie Générale de Surgélation in 1990.

  • 1981: acquisition of the SICA Vallée de la Lys in Comines (near Lille)
  • 1997: opening of the new frozen vegetable plant in Moréac.
Canned ready-made meals
The CECAB Group went into the ready-made meal business in 1979 with the takeover of the Compagnie Générale de Conserve. This business was expanded in 1990 with the acquisition of Peny, which had a canned ready-to-eat meal production section.
  • 1996: construction of a new section in Ciel (Saône-et-Loire) at the Val d'Aucy site.
The Group has three modern facilities: Saint Thurien (Finistère), Locminé (Morbihan) and Ciel (Saône-et-Loire).
In 1997, CECAB's Groupe Conserve became the leading manufacturer of traditional canned ready-to-eat meals in terms of volume.

Dog and cat food
The acquisition of the Conserverie Morbihannaise in 1974, which operated a dog and cat food production department on its site, allowed the CECAB to diversify into this field.
  • 1996: construction of a second specialised department in Contres (Loire-et-Cher) and modernisation of department in Lanvénégen (Morbihan).
1988 Investment in the turkey industry

In 1988, the CECAB group acquired a stake in Sodibel in Riec sur Belon (Finistère), which specialises in turkey portioning. It set up a turkey production business and group of producers.
  • 1991: Sodibel takes the name of the Volaven brand. The CECAB Group acquires Volailles de l'Odet's (Finistère) slaughterhouses, thus gaining total control of the business branch, with a group of turkey producers, a slaughterhouse and a portioning and processed product manufacturing site.
  • 2006 : takeover of Volaven by DUC Group
1990 Opening of Matines for shell eggs. ABCD branches out

In 1968, the CECAB included 20 breeders and a population of 60,000 fowl hens. Business quickly grew :
  • 1975: acquisition of Delaunay, which subsequently became Avicole Bretonne CECAB Distribution, owner of the packaging centre and Ploërmel egg-breaking plant. ABCD focuses its development on the production and marketing of shell eggs and egg products.
  • 1990: creation of Matines, responsible for marketing shell eggs under its own brand.
    In 1994, Matines became the leading brand in shell eggs in French supermarkets and hypermarkets.
  • 1999: creation of PEP, a manufacturing site for egg-based products (omelettes, scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, hard-boiled egg tubes, beaten egg whites). Plant opened in January 2000
  • 2003: acquisition of Karea based in Carvin (62).
  • 2004 : takeover of Ready Egg (Belgium)
1995 Takeover of Olympig: one of Europe's leading pig slaughterhouses.

In 1968, CECAB included 340 pig breeders and a population of 2,000 sows.
  • 1974: creation of Sovimor, pig slaughtering and marketing company
  • 1980: transfer of slaughter business to a new Europagro slaughterhouse in Josselin (Morbihan), constructed in partnership with other cooperatives, then in 1990 to Olympig in Josselin, one of the leading pig slaughterhouses in Europe.
  • 1995: the CECAB Group takes over Olympig.
  • 2001: the CECAB Group acquires the Aubret Cedro group.
  • 2004 : by the Olympic Movement demand, Olympig change his name and become Europig
Animal nutrition and supply
At the same time as developing its agricultural production, CECAB supplies, controls and guarantees the traceability of its finished products. In 1990, Cecaliment opened its Saint-Allouestre plant (Morbihan), replacing the Ploërmel and Hennebont plants acquired in 1971, which had become technically outmoded.

The CECAB supplied its producers through 33 shops in 1968, rising to 64 in 2006, including Gamm vert shops which specialise in gardening and rurban area services.
With earnings of over €1.313 billion
(figures from fiscal year 2006), the Cecab Group is
one of France's leading agri-food groups.

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Old logotype
1968
1979 - Acquisition of d'Aucy
1971 - Union Fermière
Mordihannaise factory
1974 - Cecaliment
factory
Marzan slaughterhouse