Our history
Roger Bertrand was only 23 years old when he set up his own marine forge in Bourcefranc in May 1957. He first worked alone before hiring an iron forger and then workers.
At that time, oyster activity was soaring but disposed of very few mechanical means. Roger Bertrand will therefore get closer to oyster farmers and develop and market his first oyster tables.
Over 60 years tuned to oyster farmers
Roger Bertrand will so get closer to oyster farmers and due to this close relationship, market his first oyster tables.
During the 70s, Roger Bertrand will manufacture a tubular boiling water tank, the first oyster machine on the market and the first step of oyster farming towards mechanization.
A year after its launch on the market, a hundred of tubular boiling water tanks have been sold.
During the 80s, a Belgian machine designed to cut Brussel sprouts gave the idea to Roger Bertrand to develop the spat collecting machine.
The 90s saw the soar of stainless steel and the first electronic weight grader was born within Bertrand Company.
As a precursor, this grader won’t be marketed, too far ahead of its time, the market wasn’t ready yet.
This was for another time! In 2004, Roger Bertrand developped and manufactured a visual grader with automatic feeding which received a well-deserved success.
Left: Alexandre Bonnat
Right: Charles Bertrand
In June 2021, Charles Bertrand, who was running the Bertrand Company since 1996, handed over the company to Alexandre Bonnat. Alexandre Bonnat, 45 years old, relying on his 20 years of experience in the industry and an engineering training completed with an IAE (Institute of Business Administration) degree in La Sorbonne (Paris) was looking for the taking over of an SME company in New Aquitaine and Bertrand Company met all his criteria :
« I was looking for a human-sized company but large enough to be structured, benefitting from a know-how recognized on a niche market, with a diversified field of activity and a great growth potential, which isn’t easy since really rare and much sought-after.”
Bertrand Company, with its 20 employees in Marennes and 5 in Gujan-Mestras was exactly what I was looking for and the contact with Charles went immediately very well.»
Flashback on a family company which has known how to innovate, adapt and thus participate to the modernization of the oyster activity.
