Grain de Sail becomes a freight forwarder – Le Journal des Entreprises
The transporter and chocolatier from Morlais Grain of Sail (52 employees, 8.2 M€ turnover) announces the launch of a subsidiary dedicated to logistics: Grain de Sail Logistics. As a freight forwarder and freight forwarder, Grain de Sail Logistics offers carbon-free logistics services.
Since the launch of its first modern cargo sailboat in 2020, Grain de Sail has become theone of the major players in sailing maritime logistics. The consolidation of the activities of shipowner, shipping company, freight forwarder, logistician and freight forwarder within the same group will allow the marketing of a carbon-free global offer between France, North America and the French West Indies.
A general manager for the subsidiary
Based in Saint-Malo, the subsidiary of the Grain de Sail holding, will be managed by Laurent Jeaneau, a Breton expert in transport and logistics for nearly 25 years. A graduate of Ponts ParisTech, the Ecole Supérieure des Transports and ISTELI, he spent the first 20 years of his career with major transport groups such as Geodis, Dachser and Cevalogistics. More recently, as supply chain director at TNP Consultants, he notably developed supply chain transformation and CSR projects related to logistics for major French luxury houses.
“After having spent the first part of my career in the organization of maritime transport, joining the Grain de Sail adventure to write a new page in French and carbon-free maritime transport to the Americas, as Jacques Cartier was able to do, is a real privilege and a source of pride”, explains Laurent Jeaneau, General Manager of Grain de Sail Logistics. For Olivier Barreau, co-founder and president of Grain de Sail, “the arrival of Laurent and the creation of Grain de Sail Logistics mark an important turning point for the company. Our goal has always been to make carbon-free maritime transport more accessible. By becoming a freight forwarder, we concretely offer a complete and professional service.”
Towards a fleet of five cargo ships
Grain de Sail is currently being built by the Finistère shipyard Piriou his second cargo sailboat, Grain de Sail II. It will be operational at the end of 2023. With a carrying capacity of 238 pallets, i.e. 350 tons, the 52-meter schooner will provide a freight consolidation service by pallet managed from the fleet’s logistics hub located in Saint-Malo. . From January 2024, Grain de Sail Logistics will therefore offer five transatlantic loops to its customers, then six from 2025. The contracts already signed and others currently under discussion will lead to the launch in 2023 of orders for three other sailboats operating from 2025 or 2026. Thus, with a fleet of five cargo ships, Grain de Sail Logistics plans to operate a transatlantic departure every two weeks on import-export flows.
