Vanessa Seknazi, Managing Director
Can you tell us a little about your company?
My name is Vanessa Seknazi and I run the company Ange Chérubin, which was formed in December 2018. The company has 5 employees and 8 vehicles. Our geographical reach is quite extensive: it includes all of Île de France, France and Europe. We work with several customers: our biggest customers include Heppner. We also do parcel deliveries when necessary, so we don’t just work with large companies but also with private individuals.
Why do you work with Heppner? How long have you been working with us? What is your relationship based on?
I’ve known Heppner for a long time. I used to work with them when I was at my old company. And I’ve continued working them now that I’ve opened my own company. I would say that the reason why I work with Heppner is, above all, the trust-based relationship I have with the Group, and with Cyril Delage in particular. We help each other, there’s a give and take. With Heppner, the feeling of trust is very strong. I’ve been working with them for just over 10 years. Of these, 3-4 years have been with Cyril Delage and it’s working very well.
Are your customers aware of the transport industry’s environmental impact? And on this subject, does your involvement in Heppner’s energy transition project contribute added value to your company? How do you leverage this?
Not all of my customers are fully aware of the transport industry’s environmental impact.
The involvement in the energy transition project does give added value. And when I say in my customer presentations that I have an NGV truck, it makes a difference. That said, it doesn’t necessarily have an impact in itself. Outside of Paris, it’s difficult to travel long distances because there are no NGV filling stations on the motorways. For short distances, it’s easier to drive with NGV because Heppner offers us stations for refuelling and the prices are very attractive.
Could you have implemented this transition without Heppner?
It would have been impossible for me to make this transition without Heppner. Everything started after I saw my bank advisor, and the help provided by Heppner has been very necessary for this transition.
Are you affected by low emission zones? Are the new environmental regulations for transport a threat or an opportunity for the industry?
I don’t see this as a threat for my industry. But I have two children with asthma, so you could say that it affects me personally! I don’t see it as a threat. On the contrary, I see it as a real benefit. Working for Heppner, I’m often doing routes in the Val d’Oise region (department 95). And if I forget to switch to natural gas, I can find myself in a complicated situation. Fortunately, Heppner makes its NGV stations available. Other service stations, such as Total, are also starting to offer this service. But availability is still low, not only at national level but also in my region.
How do you perceive this partnership’s future?
I’ve tried one truck. If I see that it continues to work well, I plan to buy a second truck in 2022. As I said, I work on a give-and-take basis: Heppner provides me support, I am beholden to them, and vice-versa.
