the Perrbal company on the roads of the agglomeration of Dijon
We all met them one day on the roads: these big trucks equipped with rotating brushes and which are there to clean the road. Our column “The New Eco” caught the spotlight on Perrbal, a woman-run industrial cleaning company. Karine Perraud recently won the trophy for “woman entrepreneur of the year”. A distinction awarded by the chartered accountants company Orcom, EDF and our colleagues in Public Good. She was rewarded for her success at the head of this company which operates throughout the agglomeration of Dijon with five 19-tonne trucks.
France Bleu Bourgogne – Why did you choose to invest in a cleaning company?
Karine Perraud, director of Perrbal – It wasn’t a little girl’s dream (she smiles). It happened by chance: in 2017 I bought the BLS company which was in receivership. I took it over with its employees, and I got into it without knowing anything about it!
Why did you say “banco, I’m going!” is it bold enough?
I come from the world of road transport, with my husband who runs the company Perraud Transport. If I don’t have goals, I’m bored. The world of transport, I know I have worked there for 20 years. There I had to make my hole in the world of Public Works, a sector where there are barely 12% of women, and it was not easy.
What does your job look like?
The days start very early. Sometimes at 5 o’clock in the morning to organize the sites. These are five 19-tonne sweepers. We work on public works sites, but also on industrial sites such as TetraPak and then municipalities and communities of municipalities. I had the chance to win the market in the city of Dijon and its agglomeration.
Is your equipment expensive?
Yes, we have five sweepers, and I plan to acquire a sixth, but it costs between 350,000 and 400,000 euros. It’s a big investment. But it is a promising market. We know that there are not many of us in this sector. Companies know the material and the cost and the technique. They therefore prefer to use subcontractors.
What are the development prospects?
I aspire to evolve further. It’s not the hardware that’s the problem, it’s finding the right people. There is a very significant staff shortage, as there is no training for the sweepers. The main thing is to find staff.