SIGMAPHI inaugurates its new plant in Saint-Avé and opens a new chapter in its history
A new 6,200 m² industrial facility to support the company’s growth and ambitions in nuclear fusion
SIGMAPHI is reaching a major milestone in its history. The French high-tech company, specializing in the design and manufacture of magnetic systems for particle accelerators, is today inaugurating its new plant in Saint-Avé. More than just a new building, the site symbolizes the transformation undertaken by the company since 2021 and its transition from a recovery phase to a new phase of development.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by, among others:
- Sébastien Longelin, President of SIGMAPHI,
- Guillaume DIEUSET, President of BreizhImmo and CEO of SemBreizh,
- Sébastien Martin, Minister Delegate for Industry,
- Anne Le Hénanff, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs,
- Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Brittany Regional Council,
- David Robo, President of Golfe du Morbihan – Vannes Agglomération, and Anne Gallo, Mayor of Saint-Avé.
“This plant is the tangible embodiment of SIGMAPHI’s transformation. We have moved from a survival mindset to a development mindset. Today, it enables us to improve working conditions, strengthen our industrial excellence, attract new talent and support our growth in the years ahead. It marks the starting point of our new CAP 2028 ambition.”
Sébastien Longelin, President of SIGMAPHI
An industrial turnaround that has become a new growth dynamic
At the end of 2021, SIGMAPHI was going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. The company had accumulated significant losses, its equity had turned negative and its cash position was under severe pressure. It was on the verge of filing for bankruptcy.
Yet SIGMAPHI had major industrial strengths: unique technological know-how, highly skilled teams and expertise recognized by its international customers.
The company’s recovery began with the arrival of Breizh Rebond, which invested €3 million at the time of the takeover and has continued to support the company for nearly five years. To date, total investments made by Breizh Rebond amount to nearly €7 million, providing long-term support for the company’s recovery and the implementation of its new plant project.
At the same time, new commercial strategies quickly enabled the company to return to growth, notably through the development of new markets and the securing of orders in industrial sectors, including nuclear fusion.
The results are now clearly visible: SIGMAPHI’s revenue has more than doubled since 2021, profitability has returned, the order book has reached a historically high level, and the company’s investment capacity has been restored.
This recovery quickly highlighted the need for an industrial facility suited to the company’s new ambitions.
A plant designed to support SIGMAPHI’s growth
Located on a 17,645 m² plot in the Poteau Nord business park in Saint-Avé, the new site represents an investment of €10.9 million.
The building has a total floor area of 6,167 m², including nearly 5,200 m² dedicated to industrial activities and nearly 1,000 m² to administrative functions. The workshops, covering 4,100 m², include seven overhead cranes with a maximum lifting capacity of 50 tonnes.
The site has also benefited from an additional €3 million investment dedicated to modernizing and strengthening the industrial facilities, including the installation of new furnaces, a paint booth, a laser welding booth and a cooling system. The site also includes storage areas as well as dedicated facilities for employees.
Designed by Adent, the building was developed around SIGMAPHI’s specific needs. Bringing all activities together on a single site makes it possible to optimize production flows, improve the organization of the various manufacturing stages, and support increasing volumes and the growing complexity of projects.
The building was also designed to evolve alongside the company, with opportunities for both ground-level and vertical expansion, including a potential initial extension of approximately 770 m².
With this new facility, SIGMAPHI intends to continue diversifying into strategic markets, particularly nuclear fusion, and strengthen its ability to meet the requirements of high-tech industrial and scientific projects.
A success driven by the Breton ecosystem
The construction of this new plant is also the result of a collective effort involving stakeholders across the Brittany region.
Golfe du Morbihan – Vannes Agglomération enabled SIGMAPHI to secure the land required for its project. SemBreizh supported the company in defining and delivering the project. Real estate financing was made possible in particular through BreizhImmo, an economic real estate investment scheme initiated by the Brittany Regional Council and managed by SemBreizh, with the support of banking partners.
The arrangement brings together BreizhImmo and SIGMAPHI within a real estate company (SCI) with €3.8 million in equity, enabling it to raise €7.1 million in bank loans. SIGMAPHI will initially occupy the building as a tenant-operator before gradually becoming its owner.
