In Évenos, in the Var region of southern France, Var Matériaux (VARMAT) is investing in a new facility dedicated to limestone processing and recycled aggregate production. To deliver this major project, the Vinci Construction subsidiary has chosen to rely on the complementary expertise of ERMAC, CHAUVIN and SINEX, three Groupe Rouby companies now united under the Rouby Mineral banner. This collaboration perfectly illustrates the Group’s ability to provide integrated, consistent and sustainable solutions for the minerals processing industry.

VARMAT operates two complementary businesses: processing limestone extracted from quarries and recycling demolition waste into aggregates that can be reused in road construction and civil engineering projects.

The Évenos project involves the construction of a brand-new processing plant whose recycling line will be capable of handling 210,000 tonnes of material per year. This investment fully supports circular economy objectives by promoting the recovery and reuse of construction waste instead of relying solely on the extraction of new natural resources.

At the beginning of the project, VARMAT was working independently with each company. ERMAC was responsible for designing the complete installation, including the steel structure, hoppers, conveyors and associated equipment, while CHAUVIN and SINEX were developing the vibrating equipment.

As the engineering studies progressed, these individual contributions naturally evolved into a single integrated solutionn, the very approach that now defines Rouby Mineral. Previous experience gained on a similar installation completed in Fréjus in 2022 by ERMAC and CHAUVIN proved to be a major advantage and reinforced the customer’s confidence.

VARMAT ultimately entrusted ERMAC with the primary(1) and tertiary(2) processing sections, while all vibrating equipment throughout the plant was supplied by CHAUVIN (70%) and SINEX (30%). The customer therefore benefits from coordinated project management and perfectly compatible equipment throughout the installation.

As process owner, VARMAT defined the required performance levels before dividing the project into several packages in order to select the most suitable supplier for each discipline.

The selected equipment is not based on completely bespoke developments but on proven machines enhanced to meet the project’s specific requirements. However, the engineering phase was particularly extensive. Nearly two years of technical discussions and design work were required before the final contract was awarded, ensuring the most efficient technical solution.

Compared with the refurbishment of an existing plant, a greenfield installation generally presents fewer technical constraints. In this case, the main challenge involved adapting the design to the site’s topography in order to minimise earthworks.

Once the contract had been signed, meeting the delivery schedule became another critical priority. Any modification to the project had to be carefully managed to protect both deadlines and budgets while maintaining a constructive relationship with the customer.

In addition, construction waste recycling remains a rapidly evolving sector. Since the plant is expected to operate for at least twenty-five years, the process must remain flexible enough to accommodate future developments while ensuring long-term profitability.

This project was developed over an extended period, from the initial discussions in 2024 through to contract signature in the summer of 2025.

The real turning point came when the three companies secured not only the complete installation but also the supply of all vibrating equipment. Winning the entire scope demonstrated the strength of a collaborative approach in a highly competitive tender involving five different suppliers. In many ways, the project anticipated what Rouby Mineral formally represents today.

Beyond the technical performance of the equipment itself, this partnership enables the Rouby Group to deliver a comprehensive, reliable and fully integrated solution. That is precisely the promise behind Rouby Mineral.

The customer benefits from working with recognised manufacturers capable of combining their expertise while operating as one coordinated team. This close collaboration simplifies communication, improves project coordination and provides a single, dependable industrial partner throughout the project.

The long-standing reputation of the three companies also played an important role. With decades of experience—and almost one hundred years of expertise in the case of SINEX—they provide customers with long-term support and the reassurance of responsive technical assistance whenever required.

In the quarrying and recycling industries, no two deposits are ever exactly alike and every project brings its own technical uncertainties. Customers therefore look above all for partners they can rely on over the long term.

United under the Rouby Mineral banner and backed by an industrial group employing nearly 300 people, ERMAC, CHAUVIN and SINEX provide exactly that reassurance. Their strength lies not only in the quality of their equipment but also in their ability to support customers from the earliest design stages and throughout the entire operating life of the installation.

This project perfectly illustrates the strategy that Groupe Rouby has been pursuing for several years: building an increasingly coherent industrial offering by combining the complementary expertise of its companies.

Today, that strategy has a name: Rouby Mineral, the common banner under which ERMAC, CHAUVIN and SINEX bring together their solutions for mines, quarries, cement plants and mineral recycling. Each company retains its own identity, expertise and product range; what changes is the strength of their combined offering.

Today, this synergy enables the Group to deliver complete industrial solutions combining CHAUVIN’s large screening machines, SINEX’s vibrating equipment and ERMAC’s turnkey processing plants. This integrated approach strengthens the Group’s competitiveness in France while creating new opportunities for international development.

Notes
(1)Primary crushing stage for raw materials.
(2)Final crushing and screening stage used to produce marketable aggregates.