In 1956, a terrible winter frost devastated the French olive grove. Émile Noël stopped producing olive oil and turned to the successful crushing of many other oilseeds. 60 years later, the oil mill returned to its roots by acquiring 250 hectares of olive groves in Andalusia.
Located in Alameda, the “Finca” has 22,000 irrigated trees producing three varieties of olives (Hojiblanca, Manzanilla, Picual).
The farm is in the process of obtaining organic certification
As of 2017, the dream of David Garnier and his family will come true: Huilerie Emile Noël will once again have its own organic olive oil production.
Huilerie Gardoise, based in Pont-Saint-Esprit, continues to expand with the acquisition of a 250-hectare olive grove in Spain.
The project had “been on his mind for a few years”, he admits. President of Huilerie Émile Noël, David Garnier is proud to own 250 hectares of olive groves in Andalusia, Spain. “It’s a return to our roots for us, since we’re farmers again,” adds the young boss.
A worthy successor to a family of entrepreneurs, David Garnier pays tribute to the original founder, his great-grandfather. The family name was inherited by David Garnier’s grandfather, who also wrote many fine pages in the local history of this family-run business that has become a market leader in olive oil (35 different varieties), food products (mustard tomato sauce, vinegar, etc.) and organic cosmetics (Emma Noël).
The largest private employer in the commune of Pont Saint Esprit, with 48 employees, the company generated sales of €28M in 2014. Export sales accounted for some 20% of this good result, with over 450 products listed in 45 countries, including the USA and Canada. On June 19 last year, in Marseilles, the Spiripont-based SME was handsomely rewarded with the 2014 Enterprise Trophy.
