No criteria of turnover or profits or results but beautiful human values such as kindness, perseverance or even solidarity…
The tone is set. For the first final in the Alpes-Maritimes of the Positive Entrepreneur Trophies, an event organized in Nice by CPME Sud [Confédération des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, ndlr] and relayed by CPME06 in partnership with UPE06 and Banque Populaire Méditerranée, “We highlight skills and the intangible, underlines Fabien Paul, president of CPME06. These trophies resonate in a context where it is difficult to undertake and allow us to shine a ray of sunshine on the company.”
Six nuggets
And Alain Gargani, president of CPME Sud, adds: “This magical evening reveals nuggets that highlight human values and provide the opportunity to share with business leaders the emotions they experience on a daily basis.”
For this first Riviera edition of the Positive Entrepreneurs Trophies, six prizes were awarded. The first, in the Eco-responsibility category, was awarded to Marcel Ragni, president of the eponymous company, specializing in public lighting solutions.
The challenge that the Gaudoise SME faces on a daily basis? That of the environmental transition of communities, in particular energy sobriety and sustainable lighting with issues of preserving biodiversity and the starry sky. Public lighting is a major lever.
“Humans are priority, recalls its leader who cultivates symmetry of attention. We pay equal respect and attention to all stakeholders, whether they are interns, employees, customers, suppliers…” And to remember that this message from “positive attitude” has been present throughout his long career.
Benjamin Mondou, president of ten Century 21 Lafage real estate agencies in Nice-Villefranche-Beaulieu, won the Solidarity prize. Solidarity with its 80 employees – “We do sports together, theater, it’s important to share values with them” – but patronage and societal commitment. “I am president of the Endowment Fund of the Théâtre national de Nice and we will play in schools, high schools, hospitals. We invite young audiences and associations to the theater… It’s exciting because we meet beautiful people and it’s very enriching for us, managers, to be able to act outside our company.”
Intelligence collective
The third prize, that of Creativity, went to Sophipolitaine IPepper, which connects companies and tech talents.
“The I in Ipepper is not that of the iPhone but that of collective intelligence”, recalls its manager Arnaud Pinte who attaches great importance to the well-being of his teams. And to elaborate: “In the IT sector, there are more and more independent workers, we are going to launch a retirement savings plan next week which will be aimed at both our employees and our freelancers.”
Emmanuelle Petit, who founded Petit Cuistot in Nice in 2018 with the desire to bring craftsmanship up to date, won the Courage prize.
And the leader has no shortage of courage. “We have two activities: catering for events and home-cooked meals to take away at low prices. Our biggest challenge is to maintain homemade food and attractive prices despite inflation,” explains the business manager who employs chefs with disabilities and who is in the process of obtaining approval to be an adapted business.
On the development side, Emmanuelle Petit dreams of setting up vending machines for homemade meals within companies. “We have demand and we are looking for funding”she says to everyone.
Employee initiatives
The Benevolence prize was awarded to Interima, the regional network for recruitment, temporary work, integration and training. Led by Marc Raiola, the local family SME – which employs 40 permanent employees, 300 full-time equivalent temporary workers – has also placed people at the center of its concerns.
This benevolence translates “By offering temporary employees permanent contracts, training, and creating the equivalent of a works council. Permanent employees are not forgotten with a “super bonus, great flexibility in working hours or even the possibility each semester of ‘have leisure time financed by the company’, enumerates the manager, proud to note that many initiatives developed are the fruit of the work of his colleagues and not of management.
The sixth and final prize, that of Perseverance, was awarded to Evan Adeny, the founder of the Nice startup Deepsy which develops psychological tests for recruitment and mental health professionals. The young company, which aims to be an alternative to declarative questionnaires, aims to combine work with mental well-being. “Deepsy is a project that was born when I was a student”recalls Evan Adeny.
The Riviera winners will meet for the grand regional final of the Positive Entrepreneurs Trophies which will take place in Marseille on November 16.
