Manufacturer of food service solutions for the foodservice industry, the ISECO brand of the ELECTRO CALORIQUE Group is historically known for its thermocontact technology. But do you really know the history of ISECO?
The history of the ISECO brand
De Pruines, forerunner of ISECO
The history of the ISECO brand began in the early 1900s, when Mr. De Pruines founded a company bearing his name in the spa town of Plombières-les-Bains (Vosges). Initially, De Pruines transformed mild steels into hardware, oil lamps and other items. Until the 1950s, when new materials appeared: stainless steel, plastic, rubber… It was at this point that De Pruines specialized in the design of food service equipment. Its main target was the healthcare sector (hospitals, clinics, retirement homes), and its secondary target was all other catering establishments (schools, prisons, companies, etc.).
De Pruines became ISECO (“Industry at the SErvice of COmmunities”) in 1952, and developed its thermocontact technology in 1973.
ISECO’s evolution
In the 1980s, the CIDELCEM Industries Group was formed through a series of acquisitions, including ISECO. In 1988, almost all ISECO production was transferred to the CIDELCEM plant in Saint-Phal. The new TRANSTRONIC range was created at this time, enabling the ISECO brand to establish itself on the market. The Plombières-les-Bains plant closed its doors for good in 1993.
Between 1995 and 2003, CIDELCEM Industries was taken over by various groups wishing to enter the foodservice market, before finally breaking up and seeing its activities transferred between different production sites. At the end of 2003, ISECO was acquired by PARISOR (PARIS – ISECO – SORTRANS), a holding company set up by a Dutch customer, who was ISECO’s main customer at the time.
The birth of ISECO Saint-Phal
In 2017, ISECO was acquired by ORTECAL Conseil (owner of the current ELECTRO CALORIQUE Groupe). The ISECO production site became ISECO Saint-Phal, and the ISECO brand was maintained, but dedicated to distributors.
Today, through its ELECTRO CALORIQUE and ISECO brands, the ELECTRO CALORIQUE Groupe is the only one to offer meal service solutions featuring thermocontact. Thermocontact is essential for preserving the organoleptic qualities of meals, particularly in the catering industry. This sector is faced with numerous constraints when it comes to serving meals and rethermalizing foodstuffs.
Did you know?
Historically, the ISECO brand has been very active on the export market. Cumulative sales between 1991 and 2020 show that 61% of sales were made abroad, compared with 39% in France. Before 2017, ISECO’s commercial activity extended to some fifteen countries worldwide, and has been consolidated and developed in many other countries since its takeover by ORTECAL Conseil in 2017.
ELECTRO CALORIQUE SAINT-PHAL TODAY
"ANDYS EA Solutions" adapted company at ISECO
We welcome employees from the company “ANDYS EA Solutions” on our ISECO production site in Saint-Phal. The aim of this adapted company is to provide employment solutions for people with disabilities who need some, while at the same time offering solutions to companies in the Aube region with recruitment difficulties. ANDYS enables disabled people to evolve in an adapted professional environment, by integrating them directly into companies in the Aube region in service delivery. The main objective is for the ANDYS employees to end up signing a permanent contract in the ISECO production workshop.
At ISECO, on our ELECTRO CALORIQUE Saint-Phal site, we already have signed 3 permanent contracts with ANDYS employees (year 2023). A total of 7 disabled employees currently work on our ISECO forklifts on a daily basis.
ISECO, Aubassadeurs
ISECO has been based in Saint-Phal since 1988, and the brand’s aim today is to highlight the local resources of the basin of Aube. In fact, all ISECO employees live within a small radius of the factory.
As part of its ongoing efforts to promote the Aube region’s resources, ISECO has naturally joined forces with the AUBASSADEURS program. With the aim of promoting the Aube region and its key players, the program aims to showcase the initiatives of the department (10). Its slogan: “L’AUBE PUISSANCE 10”. ISECO Saint-Phal joined the adventure in 2021 and ELECTRO CALORIQUE Saint-Phal is now a member of the Aubassadeurs.
