Alkern: CSR and low carbon

With an activity focused on three major markets (building, landscaping and public works), the Alkern Group (1.000 employees, 53 production sites in France and 2 in Belgium) demonstrates the resilience of its activity focused on land use planning.

Its housing and landscaping activities recorded growth of 2% compared to 2019 (“before the crisis”), boosted by individuals seeking to improve their comfort. On the other hand, its Public Works activity is still lower than that of 2019 (pre-election year, it should be emphasized) at -10%.

Alkern thus emerges strengthened from this period, which was ultimately the opportunity to accelerate the launch of multiple projects dedicated to performance.

Xavier Janin, Chairman, thus highlights the work to improve Alkern fundamentals carried out over the past two years, in particular that of administrative and financial processes. While specifying that this optimization mission is also accompanied by the development of digital tools (intended both for the efficiency of internal processes and for the customer journey) and the concretization of external growth operations, as has been the case with the acquisition of the Become group in 2021 (two sites in Chartres and Orléans, 24 employees) further strengthening the Alkern Group's know-how as an integrator.

News of the Ukrainian crisis obliges Xavier Janin to wonder about the impact to come on Alkern's markets: very significant inflation of the costs recorded - with a probable updating of prices - and the risk on the economy (morale and confidence of households, purchasing power, difficulties in obtaining bank loans, etc.). However, he would like to point out in this troubled period that the chance of precast concrete is to be a 100% local product (local raw materials, local customers, local labor), requiring no fuel with a low-energy electricity production. , thus allowing it to continue to serve its markets without shortage.

Concluding with positive notes, Xavier Janin recalled that precast concrete is a material of the future, 100% local (short loop), durable (long-life material and 100% recyclable), with proven acoustic performance such as in summer comfort but also already low carbon: energy-efficient prefabrication allows optimization of the product (“Eco-design”) and processes (limitation of waste and scrap). And the president of Alkern to announce an investment of 10 million euros over 3 years for the development of new low or even very low carbon solutions (grinding, use of new generation binders), while confirming that he is still listening to acquisition opportunities, to continue the densification of the Alkern territorial network throughout France.

Alkern has been implicitly committed for several years to responding to environmental issues

Although Alkern is already ready for RE2020, the manufacturer is also committed to the challenges of soil permeability with the development of its O' range: 5 references of draining solutions used for the development of 123.826 m2 of permeable surfaces in 2021, including the shell pavement with aggregates replaced by crushed scallops, which saved 35,8 tonnes of aggregates.

In the same environmental logic, Alkern has implemented for more than 10 years a consignment system for its wooden pallets which already reaches 77% of pallet returns, which represents some 39.253 m3 of wood preserved each year.

Finally, thanks to the use of Alkern thin joint blocks instead of traditional blocks, more than 2.700 tonnes of CO2 equivalent have been saved over the life cycle of the building, i.e. 24 million kilometers traveled by car and 3,188 million liters of 'water.

Another recent environmental initiative, last February Alkern signed a partnership with Engie Green for the integration of solar power plants in the shades of the storage areas of certain production sites in France. This partnership concerns a total area of ​​around 150.000 m2 with an estimated electricity production of 35.000 MWh/year, the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 15.000 people.

Alkern materializes its commitment through a CSR-labelled approach

Alkern confirms the acceleration of its appropriate policy, via the birth of a broader and necessary approach to future development with the triptych of objectives, to fully satisfy its customers, to attract talent, to reduce its impact in order to fight against the effects of climate change.

Alkern is thus rewarded in 2021 with a gold medal from the Ecovadis certification label for its CSR policy. This approach is the result of in-depth work carried out on the company's values, which has enabled the writing of guidelines around the company's raison d'être and ambitions.

Several measures have been taken for today and tomorrow, such as involving suppliers in our approach, raising awareness of exemplary behavior among employees (safety, etc.), accelerating the training and employment of young people, etc.