The Loisance is a river which flows through Maen Roch, a commune in Bretagne, France. In the past, this river’s flow had been altered by human hand, leading to water pollution. Agrioservices, a construction company with expertise in improving the natural environment, is using old satellite photos to restore this river to its natural flow. Leading the project is Agrioservices manager Virginie. She says she used to work in a job caring for people, but wanted to care for something much bigger, which eventually led her to taking on her current role of caring for the natural environment.

“I worked in a job caring for people for fifteen years. Yet, I had always had the urge to channel my caring instinct to something much bigger. And then one day it hit me: caring for the environment would be the perfect choice for me!”

Agrioservices’ main focus was originally on agriculture. However, in the course of its work, it became increasingly involved with matters concerning the environment. Before long, the company had developed an interest in restoring and improving the environment, leading to its rebirth as a business engaged in environmental construction projects. Agrioservices is currently working on a 2-kilometer-long river restoration project in Maen Roch. Its goal is to restore the river, which underwent development work in the 1980s, to its original state, and to recover its connection to groundwater. However, the site is a wetland, and constant excavator traffic would cause the groundwater to overflow, interrupting the work. This is where Hitachi Construction Machinery’s excavators, equipped with wide tracks, come in handy.

“These excavators have allowed us to reduce the amount of works traffic and minimize damage to the terrain, thanks to which we can work without interruption.”

Excavator operators Luc and Maxime are also fans of Hitachi Construction Machinery’s machines.

“Hitachi’s machines have low maintenance costs and are very fuel efficient. I operate one for 1,200 hours a year, and it provides excellent visibility and a comfortable cab. This means I feel much less tired at the end of the day.”

“The cab is certainly more comfortable than anything else out there. After using one of Hitachi’s machines for a year, I was surprised to find that there was no drop in work efficiency at all. Their after-sales service is also excellent, so I can use their products with peace of mind.”

Agrioservices has obtained ISO 14001 certification, an international standard for environmental management systems. Hitachi Construction Machinery provides service solution to help track the fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions of its machines, something which is vital for Agrioservices, a company that puts the environment first.

“The performance reports allow us to evaluate our carbon footprint and compare our fuel consumption month by month. We can efficiently identify areas for improvement, which in turn helps us to generate profits,” says Virginie.

In fact, Agrioservices has enjoyed rapid growth over the past eight years. Its sales, which were initially zero, are now approaching 1.5 million euros a year.