“Joining Lagache was my destiny! A destiny I wanted, not one I had to fulfil.

26 June 2025

His father, Guy Lagache, himself the son of the founder, was clear: “before joining the company, go and cut your teeth elsewhere”. Loïc listened to him, but the story is a little different…

Once he had finished his studies, Loïc looked for his first job “in the competition”. Between a pile of unsuccessful applications and a vacancy at Lagache, his father changed his mind and took him on.

At first, it wasn’t easy for Loïc, not because he was the “son of…” but because he had done a lot of odd jobs in the company during the summer and the préparateurs were his friends, so he had to supervise them! Loïc remembers, “I found it hard to reconcile the two, to impose myself”. What saved him, he explains, was always being there for the good of the company and not as “the boss’s son”.

Loïc worked on vegetables, fruit and then returned to vegetables. He is now in charge of carreau vegetables. What he likes about his job and what the company has become today is that he has more responsibility and a vision of where it’s going. It’s also the state of mind where everyone respects each other and helps each other out.

“It’s easier to motivate teams when you know where you’re going! I’ve got a target to reach and a team to motivate, whether in sales or order preparation. We all work together, from the smallest link to the top, and I like that. Xavier – who took over the running of the company when his father retired – has set up a Codir. We are consulted on the current business, the future and the teams. We can say what we think, we always listen to each other, we have the right to disagree, but we’re all moving in the same direction. I feel valued, it’s gratifying. At Lagache, we get there together, not vertically.

Of course, I was happy to work for my father and grandfather, but I never put my name forward. Lagache has become the name of the company, which is run by Xavier Martin. My only aim is to keep my customers happy and to put people at the heart of the business.

In 3 words, what makes Loïc proud to be part of this great adventure: solidarity, commitment, trust, with everyone sharing the same desire to move forward in the same direction. “I’ve found my place, thank you Xavier, thank you Fred”.