Ecully, March 9, 2023 – SPG (Société de Production Grainières, which joined the SBM group in August 2021), announces the arrival on March 6 of its new General Manager: Yves Christol. His mission will be to consolidate SPG’s position as a historical player in the vegetable and flower seed segment through its strong brands Caillard and Le Paysan, as well as in the ecological pest control segment, thanks in particular to its natural anti-mosquito solutions Biogents. At the same time, Yves Christol will actively pursue SPG’s strategy of innovation towards uses aligned with the expectations of current and future generations and with respect for our planet, in line with the vision of the SBM group.
After graduating from the University of Montpellier, then from the Montpellier Business School and the IAE in Aix-en-Provence, Yves Christol managed the central purchasing unit for goods and services Ouifield.fr of InVivo, one of the leading European agricultural groups. He also held the position of General Manager of NEODIS, InVivo Retail’s pet care and pest control subsidiary, as well as various sales and marketing positions for nearly 14 years at Royal Canin. Prior to that, he started his career in the garden sector with the KB and Fertiligène brands. His knowledge of central purchasing agencies, the end consumer and the various distribution channels will be strong assets for the development of SPG.
Both a man of the field and a strategist, Yves Christol has been working for the past 5 years with SMEs and start-ups in the AgriFood-Tech sector, putting his experience at the service of founders-managers and incubation, acceleration and innovation financing programs.
“The arrival of Yves is excellent news, as he brings both his solid expertise in the world of gardening and its distribution channels, but also the entrepreneurial and innovative qualities dear to the SBM culture. With the collective and the human at the core of our common values, I have full confidence in the implementation of collaborative and operational strategic actions that will bring success to SPG. In doing so, Yves will bring additional impetus and energy to the SPG teams and to the SBM group as we transform and move forward in the market,” said Alexandre Simmler, Managing Director of SBM Life Science.
“I am very happy to join SPG and thus the SBM group, with whom I share fundamental values such as transparency, trust and teamwork. SPG is a great company at the service of its consumers and partners, and I am particularly enthusiastic about the idea of participating in its development”, says Yves Christol, Managing Director of SPG.
ABOUT SBM LIFE SCIENCE
SBM Life Science responds to everyone’s need to reconnect with nature by putting plants at the heart of our lives.
SBM Life Science is the Home & Garden subsidiary of SBM Company, a French group of nearly 1,000 employees in 31 countries worldwide. SBM was created almost 30 years ago, is 100% independent and family-owned, and is present in a unique way in Europe and North America on the amateur and professional market.
SBM offers its customers and consumers innovative and responsible solutions and services for their plants, gardens and living spaces. The company boasts a full range of products for the protection, care and nutrition of plants, seeds, soil, and lawn seeds, as well as pest and mosquito control solutions. Ultimately, SBM meets the needs of consumers: to nourish, beautify, maintain, and defend.
SBM Life Science has deployed several flagship brands in Europe: Protect Home®, Protect Garden® and Solabiol®, a pioneer in natural products in France since 2001. Other successful local brands complete the offer in each European country, such as NutriOne®, Phostrogen® and Stroller®.
In North America, SBM Life Science is a key player in innovation in the garden market and is positioned alongside flagship brands such as BioAdvanced® and Natria®, one of the leading organic brands.
In 2022, SBM Life Science was awarded the Great Place To Work® certification in Europe, which echoes that obtained in the United States in 2021. In France, as part of the JardinPlus® 2022 Trophies, SBM Life Science was elected Supplier of the Year by purchasing decision-makers from the retail sector.
For more information, please visit lifescience.sbm-company.com
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