Deck equipment manufacturer Bopp continues to expand its network of branches around the French coast, with a policy of taking its services closer to the company’s customers.
Bopp is based at Lanvéoc in Brittany and is the main supplier of winches for the French fishing fleet, as well as supplying specialised purse seine gear for the tuna fleet, cranes, steering gear, hydraulic powerpacks and more.
According to commercial director David Thépaut, Bopp opened its first branch workshop in Boulogne-sur-Mer ten years ago, and activity there has grown steadily.
‘Next were the branches at Port-en-Bessin in 2019 and Le Guilvinec in 2020,’ he said.
‘The next one will be in Lorient later this year, most likely in co-operation with a local company, and we are planning another in Les Sables d’Olonne for 2022.’
He commented that fishing accounts for close to half of Bopp’s activity, and these local branches provide the repair expertise that customers need, close to the port where fishing is mainly concentrated.
He added that as winch technology becomes increasingly sophisticated and there is a shortage of engineers capable of working with these more complex systems, this provides a service that customers have been asking for.
‘We want to focus on our after-sales points in France, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Port-en-Bessin, Le Guilvinec and then Lorient and Les Sables d’Olonne,’ he said.
‘It’s important for us to be as close as possible to our customers to provide them with the hydraulic, mechanical and electrical maintenance they need for our systems.’
