Our story
BLUE WHALE
Blue Whale was founded in 1950, when a handful of fruit-growers set up business in the Garonne valley.
Convinced that there was strength in numbers, they decided to pool their means of production and commercialization with the aim of having their fruit publicized and enjoyed worldwide.
Some key dates of the group:
WHY THE NAME BLUE WHALE ?
The whale represents a chubby boat loaded with fruits.
The blue represents the color of horizon.
From the beginning, our fruit-growers had the whole world for horizon. Witness of this ambition, the brand sounds like a trip across the world! Poetic, easy to turn into a logotype and also universal, the blue whale has been adopted for more than 60 years and its reputation extends to the whole world. Winning bet!
The fruit-growers in the Garonne Basin group together to form an EIG and create a common trademark: Blue Whale
Oscar for France’s leading apple exporter
Blue Whale opens up to the French market
Arrival of Jean Flaunié as President of Blue Whale
Arrival of Alain Vialaret as Director of Blue Whale
New clones and varieties introduced into the orchards
Arrival of André Belloc as President of Blue Whale
Operating plan including renewal of the orchards and the installation of covers to protect against hail
ISO 9002 certification
BRC certification
Agri-Confiance certification
GLOBALGAP certification
Launch of the ARIANE variety, membership of the “Les Naturianes” group
Blue Whale becomes a member of the Pink Lady® Europe Association and markets Pink Lady®
Partnership with ZESPRI for the planting of 100ha of KiwiGold
Blue Whale opens up to the NOVACOOP Cooperative
The Pyrénées Fruits Group joins Blue Whale
Launch of new varieties of plums under the ESTIVA brand
Arrival of Claude Rehlinger as President of Blue Whale
New premises inaugurated
Launch of a plan to modernize the group’s stations (refrigeration, packing lines, etc.)
INNOPOM Project (formerly known as “zero residue”)
Rapprochement with the BVL Group
Merger with Valdiloire company
Christophe Belloc becomes CEO of Blue Whale group.
Launch of the Élément Terre Bio® brand
Arrival of the Jadana cooperative
Blue Whale celebrates its 50th anniversary
Arrival of the GP05 producers’ group and the Superalp brand
Bruno Bertheloz becomes director of Blue Whale
Launch of the Angys® brand
Blue Whale becomes leader of the (Re)Generation fruit research project