One day I saw a pack of individually-wrapped Poulain chocolate squares in a shop, and it got me thinking. Where were they put in bags? A few years ago, you see, I was a chocolate making manager for Cadbury and worked in the plant at Blois, in central France, that makes Poulain chocolate. So I knew we didn’t have the right machinery there. I asked the industrial director and he said we had to drive the chocolate to a sub-contractor in Lyon. That’s four hours away. There had to be a better way – and that’s when I had my idea.
We have bagging capacity available in Saint Genest, where I work now. It’s another Kraft Foods plant and is only 90 minutes away. So I suggested bagging the chocolate ourselves. It meant big savings. No contract, shorter journeys and an easier overall process. Everyone was really supportive after I made my case. Personally, it feels great to have made a difference to how we do things. But it’s like in football. When you score a goal, it’s for the team.