In 2014 Lokeren-based company Q-group sect up a new subsidiary, Q-food Ardenne, on the Ardenne Logistics park, right at the heart of European transport routes, with a view to boost its development in the south of the country and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It constructed its own building on the site, and employs around twenty people there. Find out more about this success story!
FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR WALLONIA AND THE GRAND DUCHY!
In 2014, Q-group, market leader in the field of meat processing, charcuterie production, vegetarian products and supplying local authorities, set itself a new target: to consolidate its position in Wallonia and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This goal gave rise to Q-food Ardenne!
Between 2014 and 2017, Q-group took up residence in a logistics warehouse belonging to IDELUX for storage and stock management as well as to distribute and market products. The perfect opportunity to assess the value of these new markets!
Ardenne logistics, a sure-fire hit!
The experience quickly proved to be a success, so the company made the decision to purchase 1.5 hectares at the Ardenne Logistics park to build a brand new building there. An investment of more than €7.5 million!
Q-food Ardenne encompasses 4 major areas of activity:
- deliveries to local authority organisations such as hospitals and nursing homes in the provinces of Liège, Hainaut, Luxembourg and Namur;
- receiving and boning beef carcasses;
- maturing meat from Belgian Blue cattle bred in the region;
- producing minced beef on a large scale.
90 % of production in Neufchâteau is sold internationally, mainly in France but also in other European and Asian countries. The company is also planning to expand to the Middle East.
For now, the Neufchâteau subsidiary employs 20 people.
RELIABLE, customised support with IDELUX
Investing in Luxembourg province on the Ardenne Logistics site was a strategic decision for Q-group. The immediate proximity of two motorways (E25 and E411) offers the perfect location in which to flourish in Wallonia with easy access to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as well as other export countries (Netherlands, France and Germany).
According to Luc VERHULST, CEO of Q-group, “Working with IDELUX was an obvious choice, as the inter-municipal organisation is the perfect partner in Luxembourg province to support businesses with every aspect of setting up (business real estate, levelling the land, administrative aspects, securing permits etc.). To sum up, IDELUX took care of everything that was not covered by Q-group’s core business”.
Luc VERHULST also explains some of the other reasons why Flemish businesses should invest in Luxembourg province:
1. spaces available with industrial land at attractive prices.
2. quality, flexible manpower, at your disposal.
3. potential for developing markets within the region.
Q-group, a multi-facetted business
Q-group encompasses a range of different companies that cover the full chain from breeding to transport, including processing (not including slaughtering):
- Q-food specialises in processing and marketing meat to local authorities, industry and HORECO;
- De Bruycker, recently taken over by Q-group, is based in Ghent, also specialises in processing meat for local authorities;
- Q-beef focuses on cattle breeding;
- Q-logistics, a transport company;
- Q-energy, in charge of supplying Q-food’s energy;
- Q-immo, which manages real estate assets;
- Q-food Ardenne, which manages the production unit based in Neufchâteau;
- Vegabites, which specialises in producing vegetarian products.
Its customer portfolio includes major international groups (Ikea, Compass, Ter Beke, ISS, Sodexo, Aramark, etc.) as well as hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, service stations (Total, Q8) and distribution companies like Deli XL, Java and Conway.
