Heading for Groß-Enzersdorf, a small town in Austria! Nearly 2,000 km of road for three HGVs transporting the components that are due to arrive at a factory belonging to the Unilever group. In all, six semi-trailers were needed to transport the large consignments, including three abnormal loads. The unit, which will extend for around sixty metres once installed, will be used to process tonnes of spinach that will end up frozen. The line is capable of cleaning, ventilating, drying and preparing between 6 and 30 tonnes per hour! This giant Meccano illustrates the expertise of a discreet SME, EAMS Industrie, based on the old route de Rosporden. The convoy set off on Monday. Another part had already left at the end of February. Rabbit and field mouse «Vegetable preparation lines are our speciality», says company manager Gilbert Gourmelen, 47. The former subsidiary of the Piriou group became independent in 2006. The design and manufacture of lines for the vegetable industry (canned or frozen) account for between 60 and 70 % of the business. «Last year, half of our sales came from exports. In Belgium, Austria, Spain and Portugal, when the market is won, EAMS takes charge of the project, from design to on-site installation. A few French projects round out the workload. This is a very specific market. »For example, we work with vegetables. But not fruit. Customers trust specialists. Generally speaking, they remain loyal to them. But loyalty doesn't come overnight. «I remember one Dutch customer. To test our machine, they added a rabbit, a field mouse and some stones to the vegetables to be treated! All of these were detected and removed by the machine... The efficiency of the process was proven.» Green beans, spinach, peas, flageolet, potatoes, carrots, beetroot - almost everything passes through the EAMS machines, which run 24 hours a day. «When a line is running, I'm always impressed by the spectacle,» confides Gilbert Gourmelen. And what's more, it smells great...«.»