French President Emmanuel Macron was presented on Friday with a Thermomix food processor manufactured at the Vorwerk factory in Donnemain-Saint-Mamès, France.
Macron promised Vorwerk board member Thomas Rodemann that he would make the best possible use of the appliance, the 2 millionth produced at the plant. “I will do my best; you can count on me; I will certainly try to get the most out of this Thermomix,” he said.
The president visited the new Vorwerk factory ahead of the “Choose France” summit, designed to attract foreign investors to France. He described the plant as an example of successful business relocation and Franco-German cooperation.
Vorwerk’s new site, designed in 2022, was built within two years, and the investment of almost €130 million ($150 million) has created 124 industrial jobs in the small northern French community.
“For seven years running now, France has been the European country attracting the most foreign investment,” said Macron, referring to an annual ranking by the audit and consulting firm EY. The recently published study ranked France as the most attractive investment location in Europe, ahead of the UK and Germany.
As Vorwerk board member Rodemann said, labour costs were not the primary reason for establishing a further plant in France. “The decisive factor was the ability to swiftly translate investment decisions into industrial reality.”
He praised France’s rapid approval processes, strong support from local, regional and national authorities, reliable infrastructure, access to a highly skilled workforce and the availability of reliable and affordable low-emission energy.