Customers could get to know the teams sales, warehouse and service teams of ROPA France, and also the management of ROPA GmbH. Hermann and Marianne Paintner were there with their daughter Carolin Paintner to greet customers. Managing Director Dr. Eberhard Krayl informed visitors about the latest company news and innovations. Julien Carrière, Managing Director of the ROPA France subsidiary, explained the further developments in the Golancourt location and reported in particular about the planning for an additional 1800 square meter service workshop.

The history of ROPA France

ROPA France was established in 2000 by Julien Carrière in the existing buildings of his family farm in Golancourt (Oise). This farmer's son did an internship at ROPA GmbH before he became a technician and later the initiator and Managing Director of the French subsidiary. The Golancourt (Oise) location is in the heart of the most important sugar beet and potato cultivation region and is right near the French and Belgian customers.
The enthusiasm and constantly increasing demand for ROPA Tigers and ROPA cleaner-loaders called for the establishment of a near workshop starting in 2004, in which up to 5 machines could be accommodated simultaneously. In 2009, ROPA France began selling ALBACH wood chippers to diversify its activities. Today, these self-propelled machines, which are also manufactured in Bavaria (Germany) are the standard on the wood energy market thanks to their quality and performance. The market launch of ROPA potato technology in 2013, with the Keiler, paved the way for the opening of the ROPA France branch office in Janville (Eure-et-Loir) two years later. It promoted the marketing of potato harvester and led to a further strengthening of the service network for sugar beet cultivators south of Paris. In 2016, the growing machine population required further growth. The workshop and spare parts warehouse doubled. The workshop was expanded to 1600 square meters, while the parts shop has a self-service area of 100 square meters and another 1300 square meters for storage of spare parts. In total, there are more than 12,000 different items in stock, which are distributed across 7 square kilometers of shelf space and valued at EUR 7 million. In addition, the spare parts warehouse was equipped with two vertical Kardex storage systems in order to optimize the storage and logistics of the small parts. A cleaning hall and extensive buildings for accommodating and marketing used machines were also added. The construction of a new 500 square meter management center with 8 offices, 2 conference rooms and a cafeteria was completed in 2017. In 2018, ROPA France decided to expand its agricultural product range by marketing BERGMANN sugar beet cleaning equipment in order to do justice to customer requests; these further optimize the performance of ROPA Tigers and Panthers, and at the same time, maintain the work quality of the machines. Two years later, BERGMANN'S sowers, silage trailers and other transfer vehicles were included in the product portfolio of ROPA France. Also in 2020, the company supplemented its business in the wood energy sector by marketing for the Swiss company WÜST, a manufacturer of trailing and truck-pulled wood chippers, and ALZINGER Maschinenbau, the Bavarian manufacturer of biomass sieve systems.
Today, ROPA France employs more than 70 people, including 10 trainees. The fleet of around 30 workshop vehicles enables every technician to provide service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to customers in France and Belgium. In order to maintain its high-quality service, the French subsidiary will invest more than one million euros in another 1800 square meter workshop, a storage platform for the machines and a new painting room in 2022 and 2023.