The founders
The origins of JMI lie in a trip to Madagascar by Guy Besnardeau.
The group owes its current position to the meeting of Franck Nguyen and his wife-to-be, the daughter of Guy Besnardeau.
Guy Besnardeau
Guy Besnardeau travelled to Madagascar at the age of 28.
In 1975 he decided to found SMEF, a company specializing in freezing and refrigerated storage equipment.
He gradually ‘took the bait’ when it came to fishing, firstly on account of SMEF’s customers and then, little-by-little, for himself.
At the beginning of the 1980s, he spotted an opportunity to combine his expertise in refrigeration with the local fishing industry.
A range of businesses were subsequently created, expanding into prawn fishing, line fishing and logistics and distribution of these catches through a network of Madagascan fishmongers.
Thanks to his vision, his organizational abilities and his perseverance, Guy’s gamble came off. He was able to successfully create a number of businesses in the refrigeration and seafood products sector that complemented each other perfectly, operating right across the globe.
In 1975 he decided to found SMEF, a company specializing in freezing and refrigerated storage equipment.
He gradually ‘took the bait’ when it came to fishing, firstly on account of SMEF’s customers and then, little-by-little, for himself.
At the beginning of the 1980s, he spotted an opportunity to combine his expertise in refrigeration with the local fishing industry.
A range of businesses were subsequently created, expanding into prawn fishing, line fishing and logistics and distribution of these catches through a network of Madagascan fishmongers.
Thanks to his vision, his organizational abilities and his perseverance, Guy’s gamble came off. He was able to successfully create a number of businesses in the refrigeration and seafood products sector that complemented each other perfectly, operating right across the globe.
Franck Nguyen
With a background in the hospitality sector, Franck Nguyen has loved cooking and quality food products since he was young.
A born innovator, he came up with a wide range of ideas to add value to the agri-food industry.
His encounter with Chrystelle and her father, Guy Besnardeau, was a turning point in his career. It was only natural that he should dive in headfirst into the seafood products sector, discovering a real passion for this incredible resource.
In 1993, he founded Crusta C, which markets fresh, cooked and ready-to-eat products to a wide range of French supermarkets.
Mass-producing a quality product whilst innovating in a way that’s beneficial to both consumers and the planet has always been Franck’s driving force.
A born innovator, he came up with a wide range of ideas to add value to the agri-food industry.
His encounter with Chrystelle and her father, Guy Besnardeau, was a turning point in his career. It was only natural that he should dive in headfirst into the seafood products sector, discovering a real passion for this incredible resource.
In 1993, he founded Crusta C, which markets fresh, cooked and ready-to-eat products to a wide range of French supermarkets.
Mass-producing a quality product whilst innovating in a way that’s beneficial to both consumers and the planet has always been Franck’s driving force.