ICA 63

Founded: 2013
Field: aeronautical, space and defense boilermaking
Status: SARL
Employees: 11 (including 2 apprentices)
Sales 2024: 1.9 million euros
Site: under development
Support: CCI, Region, Aerospace Cluster, France Relance 2030

meeting with:
Julien Cancela Director I.C.A. 63 >> LinkedIn

Born from experience and the desire to pass on

ICA 63 was founded by José Cancela, a man with 39 years’ experience in aeronautical sheet metal work. In 2013, he set up his own training and consultancy structure for companies, with a clear ambition: to pass on his know-how to the next generation to meet the very demanding needs of industry. He began by helping a company in Chartres to structure its processes, ensure its quality levels, train its teams… In confidence, this same company entrusted him with so-called offloading activities. Offloading is a form of subcontracting in which the workshop carries out only one stage of manufacturing, lightening the load for the contract holder, who remains responsible for production.

In 2015, his son Julien had just completed a work-study BTS in design and production of automated systems at Imperial Tobacco. “I knew nothing about the sector”, he confides, but when his father offered him the chance to join the company, he set about training himself “on the job”: heat treatment, welding, purchasing, sales and quality management… He follows his father in everything he does. A modern companionship, at the heart of the workshop as much as in the company’s strategy.

From offloading to full outsourcing

Initially, the company manufactured these parts “only” at délestage. But the father-son duo quickly professionalized the structure, setting up a quality system and an ERP, and obtaining EN9100 certification, the key to working in the aeronautics, space and defense industries. “Our objective was clear: to become a recognized subcontractor, capable of producing complex and critical parts.”

Know-how, THE business card

In the aeronautics sector, everything is based on trust and the recognition of expertise. Sales canvassing is rarely practiced, and customers come by word-of-mouth, often via the network. And it’s all thanks to the challenges the company has successfully met: manufacturing a never-before-produced part, in record time, to extremely exacting standards.
Today, ICA 63 offers two technically complementary activities: boiler making and the design of processes to deliver a validated part within a precise timeframe. The latter activity is also used internally, for its own production.

With Turgis Gaillard, for example, ICA 63 is working on the prototype for the 100% French Aarok drone. Its role: to produce a sheet metal part that has never been made before, and for which no reference exists. Julien Cancela relishes the challenge: “No reference part existed. We had to invent everything, prototype, test, repeat and validate each step. In fact, to make the whole team aware of this, I formalized a 3D visualization of the representative parts of the drone once assembled.”

Growing without losing DNA

Today, the company has 11 employees, including two internally-trained apprentices.

ICA also invests in its industrial facilities. For example, the acquisition of two specific machines to design frames for private jets has generated strong sales growth. As for the acquisition of the future new 5-axis machining centre (supported under the Rebond Industriel scheme), this will contribute to reinforcing the independence of ICA 63, which currently subcontracts 70% of its manufacturing. This rate will rise to 45%. This internalization represents a significant gain in terms of responsiveness, time control, margins and quality.

Bourget target (and beyond)

With its sustained growth (from 600 K€ in 2022 to 1.9 M€ in 2024), ICA 63 sees itself as a family start-up! Indeed, in addition to the father, who is joined by his two sons, a cousin and the mother are also invested in the company.

The company is preparing for its transformation: a new site is being built to accommodate the new machine, subsequent machines and the growing workforce.

Over the next 10 years, the company is aiming for 25 productive employees, complete mastery of the process, from sheet metal work to machining, and an unchanged ambition: to become a key player in the French aeronautical sheet metal industry.