It's buzzing at the Vetrotech Romont production site

Beekeeping is more topical than ever: we hear more and more about urban hives or amateur apiary courses, for example. For two Vetrotech Saint-Gobain employees, Vincent Johner and Michel Oberson, bees are not only a trend, but a passion they have shared and practiced for several years in their free time. "What fascinates me the most is the complexity of bee colonies and the way they live in community," explains Vincent, who is in charge of eight colonies in the Glâne region. For one hour a week, he puts his role as a method engineer on hold and puts on his beekeeper's equipment to check on the well-being of his protégés. Last year, Vincent began sharing the fruits of his hobby with his co-workers. "I started distributing my honey in my workplace, which generated a lot of interest," he explains. It was by seeing this enthusiasm that the director of the Romont factory, Cédéric Berg, wanted to embark on the Vetro'Miel adventure.

Busy bees for Vetrotech

Recently, three hives were set up on the site of Vetrotech Romont, from which western honey bees are spreading to collect nectar in the vicinity. A single colony of bees can have up to 60,000 bees. The three colonies will produce between 45 and 60 kilos of honey until the end of the summer. For every kilogram of honey, they will have visited about 1.5 million flowers and traveled up to 100,000 kilometers.

Bees maintain the balance of the ecosystem

Bee colonies contribute to biodiversity by pollinating plants. Not only do they allow people to enjoy flowering plants, but they also provide a livelihood for animals that depend on plant food. This dedicated support also plays an important economic role in agriculture, as more than 75% of agricultural crops depend on bees.

0:04

Bees for Vetrotech

In the interest of the environment

The initiative of the two employees contributes to the protection of bees and the preservation of indigenous biodiversity. Indeed, amateur beekeepers are concerned about the future of bee colonies and wish to contribute to their preservation. "Humanity cannot survive without bees, so we must take care of them. We can all contribute to reducing our environmental impact and act in a way that respects nature so that our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to experience the rich ecosystem we enjoy today. This initiative is a great example of how we can make a contribution, and allows us to raise awareness among our employees about these issues. This is a small step, but an important one for us as part of the Saint-Gobain Group's sustainable development approach, "Glass Forever"," says Cédéric.

If the weather conditions are right, the plant's employees will be able to taste Vetrotech's first honey by the end of the month.