It is a symbolic moment for Mohed Altrad,
“the opportunity to give back a little of what [he] received when he arrived in France”
.
The businessman, whose eponymous company is a world leader in the provision of services to industry, today announces funding to the tune of one million euros (out of a total budget of 4.5 million euros). ) a residence for disabled retirees in the town of Florensac, located in Hérault.
This project, which includes the reconstruction of an existing home and the construction of new housing, will accommodate disabled workers and then offer them a solution at the end of their career, as traditional nursing homes are not suited to their situation.
The 33 housing units, for which work will begin in the 4th quarter, should be delivered at the end of 2022. They will be managed by the Association Vallée de l'Hérault, which supports these disabled workers.
The 7000 m2 plot was donated by the town hall of Florensac.
42,000 people in the group
The commitment of the businessman of Syrian origin owes nothing to chance. Mohed Altrad, who made his fortune in scaffolding and concrete mixers, has owned a factory in the city since 1985. “
I was born a second time in Florensac,”
he said this morning to elected officials in the city. It is in this commune that Mohed Altrad, who arrived in France in 1972 thanks to a grant from the Syrian Ministry of Education, started the adventure of his group. Alerted by a neighbor, he bought a bankrupt scaffolding company at the time, saving 200 jobs in the process. He then only had
"a few thousand francs"
in his pocket.
While the group now has 42,000 people, it regularly subcontracts work to the production workshop of the Association Vallée de l'Hérault (AVH) and employs disabled workers, supported by the association. The financing of this residency is therefore part of the continuity of Mohed Altrad's commitment to disabled people. And within the framework of its motto:
"putting people at the center and more, allowing everyone to give the best of themselves, whatever their starting situation, their diplomas, their origin, their assets"
.
