The Bel Group, a family cheese marketer that shows solidarity in these times of pandemic, will soon open a new factory in Canada!
The Bel Group is a French family business founded in 1865 by Jules Bel. From a small cheese factory in the Jura, the company has become one of the world leaders in the industrial cheese sector. Behind the Bel Group hides brands such as The Laughing Cow, Boursin, and Mini Babybel. Present in more than 120 countries and with around 12,400 employees, the group is now led by Antoine Fiévet, a member of the fifth generation of family managers. Continuing its international expansion, the company, which has been present in the Canadian market since 1957, will open its first Canadian factory in Sorel-Tracy next fall. The city is located less than 100 km from Montreal, but very close to the family business Chalifoux Dairy, thus seeking industrial synergies. The 87 million-dollar factory is expected to create 170 jobs and should be dedicated to the manufacture of the famous Mini Babybel cheeses. As part of the COVID-19 crisis, CEO Antoine Fiévet recently organized a day of solidarity. During this day, the group’s global production was given either in the form of donations in kind (20 million portions of cheese) or financial donations which were given to food banks, hospitals and organizations helping the poorest worldwide, including in Canada.
