MECAUV INDUSTRIE

Founded: 1982
Sector: Precision mechanics, machining of parts to a hundredth of a millimeter and very large parts (up to 10 tons), production of special machines, boiler-making and welding.
Status: SA
Number of employees: 30
Sales 2024: over 4 million euros
Location: www.mecauv.eu
Support: Industrial Rebound – France 2030

meeting with :
Marc Megemont, engineer, manager and networker, who has been transforming his company for over 20 years.
>> LinkedIn

An industrial shift begun in 2000

When Marc Mégemont took over the company in 2000, he drew on a wealth of experience he’d acquired in major groups, as head of a mechanical engineering SME, and through a stint in regional economic development. There, he acquired knowledge of the sector and mastery of the local ecosystem.

Founded in 1982, Mecauv Industrie’s historical business was general mechanical engineering. At the time, it was over 80% dependent on a single customer. “This was a major risk. We took the opposite approach by diversifying our markets, structuring our teams and investing in our production facilities”, he explains. The business – especially when it comes to very large parts – is highly capital-intensive, requiring substantial, diversified and regular investment. As Marc Megemont reiterates, a company that is not constantly on the move will inevitably decline.

With globalization, everything travels faster, at lower prices, under unequal competitive conditions, … Marc Megemont then took a structuring decision: the construction of a new industrial site in 2007-2008, to enable diversification of the business, in particular towards the production of large parts. “Investing 3 million euros, 2 million euros in a new building and 1 million euros in production equipment wasn’t the best timing. We didn’t find out until afterwards, of course, but it was necessary to turn a corner. The site covers 2,500 m², and integrates key functions: boiler making, painting, assembly and, of course, precision machining.

This repositioning on more technical and less transportable parts enables the company to strengthen the anchoring of its activity on the national and European territory, on which the social rules are homogenized. Differentiation can then be based on expertise, know-how, guaranteed quality, etc.

High value-added industrial customization

Today, Mecauv Industrie concentrates its activity around two main product families: highly technical single parts or small series, and complete mechanical assemblies, right up to special machines. This positioning enables us to meet specific needs, notably in the tire, aeronautics, energy and defense sectors, for customized industrial equipment.

But what really sets the company apart is its ability to work on large, high value-added parts.

State-of-the-art machines to keep you in the race

To remain competitive in these demanding markets, Mecauv Industrie relies on technological innovation. As part of the France 2030 plan, and supported by the Rebond Industriel scheme, the company has invested in two strategic pieces of equipment: a vertical lathe with side-milling unit, capable of handling complex revolution parts weighing up to 10 tonnes, and a large-scale 5-axis milling machine. These machines not only make it possible to meet previously inaccessible customer requirements, but also to increase productivity, precision and response capacity.

As Florent Menegaux reminded us at the Rebond Industriel awards, for which Mecauv industrie is the winner, companies need a stable outlook and vision. For Marc Megemont, “the current period is by no means stable, in fact it’s very opaque, but for all that, we can’t afford to stop and wait: we’re adapting and continuing to bet on the future.”

Focusing on skills: a strategic challenge

This technological shift goes hand in hand with an increase in skills. “Our jobs have changed. Today, we no longer turn a crank: we program, pilot and anticipate,” emphasizes Marc Megemont. The company relies on a winning model: recruiting work-study students, training them internally, and encouraging the transfer of skills to experienced employees. Most are graduates of UIMM training programs.

But beyond technical know-how, it’s a corporate culture that the manager is keen to nurture. “Young people have to want to stay. And it’s up to us to create the right conditions: we give them autonomy, we listen to them and, above all, we give them prospects by offering them a project and a career path in which they can fit in.” The result: low staff turnover, despite recruitment pressures in the sector.

A human-scale industry with controlled impacts

While economic performance, innovation and technical expertise are at the heart of our business model, Mecauv Industrie is no stranger to environmental issues. Without claiming to revolutionize its footprint, the company is moving forward at its own pace: cleaner lubricants, systematic oil recycling, elimination of disposable consumables in favor of washable cloths, improved working conditions in the paint booth… “These are concrete, progressive steps,” asserts Marc Megemont. These are concrete, progressive steps,” asserts Marc Megemont.

Network man and industrial territory

An active member of the UIMM, the CPME and the Réseau Entreprendre, Marc Megemont likes to describe himself as a “network man”. Sponsor of three godchildren for the Réseau Entreprendre network, he loves this relationship of transmission and mutual support. For him, the future of industry also depends on local cooperation, support for the next generation of entrepreneurs, and the sharing of experience. “We can’t face challenges alone. We need strong ecosystems.