In his late thirties, David is Breton to his roots (though they may be slightly greying) and his colleagues are quick to mention his friendly and energetic personality. Let’s get to know David Le Duff, who manages logistics and order preparation at Pouliquen (and is quite a keen footballer in his free time!).
Transport and logistics are a piece of cake for him
David’s day is divided between two main tasks. In the morning, he provides the link between the sales department and production, ensuring that information flows smoothly within the company. He also organises the transport of the fresh vegetables purchased for our customers at the morning auction, preparing the carriers’ schedule and waybills for vegetable pickup and delivery throughout France and Europe. “Each day is different. We manage between 10 and 30 shipments each day, which can be full trucks or mixed pallets. We mainly work with local companies. We feel it’s important to do business with companies in the region. Proximity is important to us.” Since coming to work for Pouliquen after completing his technical diploma in Transport around 15 years ago, David has become an expert in his field. He has also built relationships of trust with our carriers, which goes a long way towards ensuring high-quality service for our customers.
Order preparation and quality control
Once the distribution schedule for the morning’s sales has been finalised, David leaves the office for the production side of the company. “I like the way these two roles fit together. I can’t see myself spending all day behind a desk.”
In the production department, he works closely with Pierre-Yves and Norbert to prepare orders, including mixed pallets. All three also work at the packing station in order to ensure quality control, checking that the products meet specifications.
“All the vegetables we sell are prepared at CERAFEL-Prince de Bretagne packing stations. There are 3 in Finistère, 3 in the Côtes-d’Armor and 1 in Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine. Pouliquen’s location in the vegetable-producing region of northern Finistère means that we are right next door to most of these stations. That’s a big advantage. ”
Besides quality control, the trio manages product standardisation, which is also carried out directly at the station.
Managing shipments: the last step and final task of the day
The time for shipments is at the end of the day. Carriers arrive to pick up the merchandise according to the schedule set by David in the morning, and Pierre-Yves, Norbert and himself supervise loading in order to avoid errors, often lending a hand themselves.
By 6pm, most of the trucks are already on the road, and it’s time for our logistics specialist to head home to his family… or put on his cleats and kick the ball around!