From pasture to patties: PRUVOST LEROY unlocks new revenue streams

“Dad started with a small truck and a cow”

Based in the village of Saint-Hilaire-Cottes in northern France, PRUVOST LEROY was founded in 1958 by Marcel Pruvost and Raymonde Leroy. What began as a small livestock trading business has grown into a prominent meat wholesaler, producing high-quality beef, veal, pork, and lamb from farm to fork.

“The origin of the story is my parents: my father, Marcel Pruvost, who was a livestock trader, and Mom, Raymonde Leroy,” explains Jean Pruvost, General Manager. “Dad started with a small truck and a cow. With experience, he grew. Then, 20 years later, my brother Philippe joined them, followed by Laurent, myself, and also Nathalie.”

Today, the four siblings run the company, guided by strong values like environmental responsibility and animal wellbeing. “It's a big family, along with many collaborators,” explains Jean. “My older brother, Philippe, takes care of breeding and livestock trading. My brother Laurent takes care of all the slaughtering part. And my sister Nathalie and I take care of Pruvost Leroy—cutting, processing.”

“You have to evolve with the times”

Over the decades, PRUVOST LEROY has continuously adapted its business to stay ahead. From trading live animals to selling meat quarters, and then moving into vacuum-packed products in the 1990s, the company has never stood still. “As with every era, you have to evolve with the times,” says Jean.

About five or six years ago, Jean began noticing a shift in customer demand. “We realized that about 50% of the animal was going into ground beef. I thought, if we want the young ones to stay, we have to follow the market. That’s why we went into this niche.”

Continuing this evolution, they sought out the right technology partner to help them add value to their product lines through burger patty production. “We chose JBT Marel for our process of manufacturing minced burger, frozen and fresh, because we thought it was the best,” says Plant Manager, Christophe   Perrier. “The best players in the market to offer us solutions—new and professional.”

Jean adds, “I mean, if you’re a national leader, European, even global, there is a reason.

A complete burger processing line

PRUVOST LEROY worked with JBT Marel to install a mixer/grinder, two burger forming machines, an Underleaver, and the MCheck2 Checkweigher.

“We've invested in the entire grinder mixer section,” says Perrier. “A primary grinder, two grinder mixers with CO₂ cooling. And in the manufacturing section, we have invested in two machines, two MasterFormers—one for oval minced burgers, and one that allows us to make round minced burgers.”

The new setup allows PRUVOST LEROY to produce both fresh and frozen burgers, with tailored equipment for each stage. “We chose minced burger solutions—low-pressure—because we thought it was the best solution. And it is also what our clients ask us about first,” says Perrier.

Their investment also includes a different forming machine, enabling the team to offer customized, premium products to meet client demands and stay ahead of competitors. “It allows us to be a little different from what our competitors can offer to these same clients and to these brands.”

On the quality control side, they’ve installed an MCheck2 Checkweigher to ensure accurate weight control and compliant labeling at the end of the line. 

“JBT Marel also provided what allows us to fill a cryogenic freezing tunnel,” he adds. “And in the fresh section, we have denesters with automatic tray loading, a paper placement system… which allows us to have products that won't stick to each other.”

A true partnership in action

From installation to full production, JBT Marel’s service and support have been key to PRUVOST LEROY’s success. “The advantage we had was that our teams were involved from the start of the lines, from installation, and with the help of JBT Marel's teams completely took over the equipment,” Perrier says. “After a few months, completely autonomous and have fully acquired and learned how to operate these machines.”

Perrier praises his staff: “It's a real pleasure to work with these people who are truly committed to the company.”

He adds that close communication with JBT Marel has been a major benefit. “We work closely with JBT Marel with whom we have regular exchanges, with meetings, monthly reviews as well, to be able to do a bit of an assessment on the issues encountered in production and also the improvement points. So we have significant support from JBT Marel at this level.”

This cooperation has helped PRUVOST LEROY gain both time and confidence in a fast-moving market. “The proposed solutions allow us to move forward more quickly in the market without having to grope for solutions that could be more or less functional in production. This has saved us time in terms of our commercial advances and our market ranges.”

Perrier adds that the relationship runs deeper than just business. “We have established with JBT Marel a partnership relationship rather than a client-supplier relationship, which allows us to move forward more quickly in the markets. And I would like to thank the sales department which is always present by our side to provide us with solutions.”  

Looking ahead

As demand grows, PRUVOST LEROY is already thinking about the next phase. “We have other projects in the future to develop our production lines because currently we are producing about twenty tons of frozen minced burger and 10 to 12 tons of fresh minced burger. The tool is calibrated to produce 80 tons per week,” says Perrier. “So we still have a significant margin for maneuver.”

As PRUVOST LEROY continues to expand, the company remains true to its roots—blending tradition with innovation. And with JBT Marel’s ongoing support, the next chapter of their family story is already taking shape.

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