La Lorraine’s ambition: "Making Erpe-Mere the most modern bakery plant in Europe"
Bakery La Lorraine is looking to hire 100 new employees in East Flanders this year. Most of the new staff will be employed at the frozen bakery plant in Erpe-Mere that is being completely renovated. La Lorraine is also looking for 300 additional staff for its foreign branches. By 2028 the bakery wants to increase its turnover in the rest of Europe, Turkey and the Middle East by 50 percent.
"Our business is growing at a rate of 10 percent every year," a bakery spokesperson explains. The bakery has its headquarters in Ninove (East Flanders) and supplies, among other things, fresh and frozen bakery products to supermarkets across Belgium. "Staff numbers continue to increase as the business grows. We are recruiting a total of 400 additional employees this year, 100 of them in our country."
There are different types of job on offer. "We are looking for both commercial and technical profiles. There are new jobs in management, ICT, sales and on the production line. This is because we are going to significantly expand the frozen bakery at our site in Erpe-Mere. The site, which is now more than 30 years old, is also being completely renovated turning it into the most modern site in the group, and even in the whole of Europe. Today 450 people already work at Erpe-Mere. Numbers will eventually rise to 800."
Belgian company delivers in 35 countries
The La Lorraine Bakery Group has some 5,000 employees and delivers in more than 35 countries. 9 countries have their own bakery production, which they are now expanding too. "We are making the biggest investments in Romania and the Czech Republic. There we are looking for about 300 additional people."
What is popular abroad?
La Lorraine products are also popular abroad. "We adjust our assortment slightly, but it is largely similar. Especially the ‘Sweets on the Go’, like donuts and beignets, are doing well in the Middle East and Turkey."
Green ambitions too
"Our goal is to grow sales in Europe, Turkey and the Middle East by more than 50 percent by 2028, but we not only want to get bigger, but also better. Our site in Poland recently started operating entirely on green electricity. That's a big investment, but one that pays off. Poland still uses a lot of coal, which leaves a heavy footprint."
Closer to home, in Belgium and in Germany, attention is being paid to the origin of the wheat. "That is our most important raw material. We invest in farmers and cooperatives that are looking for ways to emit less CO₂, for example by using fewer or different fertilizers, or by using conventional farming techniques."