CHALON MEGARD

A machine for every cheese

Cheeses are the trend of the time, and never before have there been more cheeses and cheese specialities on offer in the market. Many cheeses are still handmade in small local dairies; however, even industrial cheese-manufacturing is of the highest quality today. Artisanal techniques and state-of-the-art machinery, combining traditional production methods and high yields effectively, have contributed to the current development. CHALON MEGARD is one of the leading manufacturers of machinery and production lines for dairy and cheese production.

For each cheese the best production lines – for CHALON MEGARD this claim has become daily business. For 91 years now, the company has been the expert in the development, production, distribution and installation of small production units as well as large-scale turnkey production lines required in dairy and cheese production.

“We construct customised solutions according to customer specifications, which cover the entire production process of our customers,” points out Commercial Director Bertrand Henriot. “This includes production lines for milk reception and pasteurisation as well as cream separation, butter and whey processing and cellarage of the cheeses during their ripening stage.”

Such a comprehensive specialisation is hard to find in the market, and this is why it is not surprising that the French manufacturer has turned into the preferred supplier for many large European cheese production companies.

In France, CHALON MEGARD supplies Lactalis, Bongrain und Entrement; in the USA and in Canada Saputo is among its customers. Moreover, CHALON MEGARD’s machinery can be found at the production site of Goldsteig in Germany. “Parmalat is an important Italian customer, and in Spain we supply about 70% of all cheese dairies,” says Mr. Henriot. “Today, our export business generates 60% of our turnover, and we are convinced that international demand will continue to grow.”

At the Anuga FoodTec 2012, from March 27 to 30, the company is going to showcase its latest innovations to international trade experts. The company listens carefully to current trends and adjusts its machinery and plants to the requirements of the market. “We observe a concentration within the market, which means that in the long-run the demand for large machines will increase,” explains Mr. Henriot. “It also results in a decreasing number of customers who need more complex and larger machines, with processing capacities of 80,000 l per hour and more, for instance, or production lines which produce 50,000 t of cheese per year.”

CHALON MEGARD’s own engineering division with its 23 staff members ensures that the customer gets exactly the plant that he requires. All employees have had special training in dairy farming and thus are professionals through and through. “The reliability and precision of our machinery results in absolute productivity for our customer,” stresses Mr. Henriot. “The plants operate without any loss of proteins and fats. If you only need 9 to 10 l of milk for the production of 1 kg of cheese, this is a considerate increase in yields. The machinery allows for highly precise cutting and portioning, which benefits our customers’ customers.”

In addition, minimising pollution results in efficient costs savings for the customer during all processing stages, and it decreases the use of cleaning agents. While in former years, the floors at cheese diaries were wet at any time, they are absolutely dry and clean now.

All finished production lines are completely assembled by CHALON MEGARD’s own assembly team at the production site and approved by the customer. Subsequently, the lines are disassembled again, transported to the customer’s site, installed and put into operation by the company’s team. “We have at our disposal a team of 20 employees who take over assembly all around the globe. The test run at our premises reduces production downtimes to a minimum,” states Mr. Henriot.

Today, the company, which has been part of the BRETECHE Group since 1995, employs a workforce of 130 people at its headquarters and generates a turnover of 26 million EUR. “Our machines and production lines for hard cheese, soft cheese, blue cheese and other cheeses are technically superior to those of our competitors in terms of precision, speed, hygiene and environmental compatibility,” stresses Mr. Henriot.

CHALON MEGARD aims at expansion in new markets. “Until today, cheese is produced by hand in India. We have to find new solutions for industrial cheese manufacturing that can be adjusted to changing environments in order to enable growth without discarding machine modules. Production lines have to be energy-efficient and easy to clean,” states Mr. Henriot.

For sure, this approach will earn CHALON MEGARD continued leadership in the market.

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