The world’s biggest macaron factory, you ask? Well, it happens to be based in Belgium. PMSweet poured substantial investments in a 17,000 m2 state-of-the-art factory. Thereby driving up its production output from 700,000 to around 1 million high-quality macarons a day. An investment that rightly allows PMSweet to call itself the world’s biggest macaron producer.
A small treat with big plans
In 2015, Michaël Labro decided to drop out of medical school and devote his best endeavours to making macarons. In due course, “Doctor Macarons” met his new and current business partner Philippe Lhoest with whom he set up PMSweet.
That same year, macaron production already hit a new gear. The company has just kept growing ever since. By 2023, the company was turning out around 700,000 macarons a day from its two Liège workshops. Nowadays, PMSweet has a workforce of some 350 staff, effecting 60 million euros in annual turnover.
Small wonder the business has big plans: the ambition was to move up quickly to become the global market leader delivering top quality macarons. In late 2023, PMSweet built a state-of-the-art factory which is now up and running. “A crucial step to maintain our position as the world leader”, Michaël comments.
In early 2024, PMSweet relocated to a new location in Thimister, keeping things within the Liège region. The company is ramping up the pace, which now sees them make an estimated 1 million macarons a day.
In the meantime, its macarons are available from a string of Belgian supermarkets, with PMSweet exporting its products to over 30 countries.
From energy recovery to gender neutral dressing rooms
Michael Labro: “Our ambition is to also reduce down our environmental impact as widely as possible and to run our production operations in a sustainable manner. To do so, we are fitting 11,000 m² in solar panels, we are recovering energy to cool our fridges and freezers and to heat the water across the entire factory. We are reducing our packaging wherever possible and we are building sugar silos and chocolate tanks to pare down waste and transport.”
Their Food Heroes also occupy a central position in the way the company operates. The factory is highly ergonomic, involving automation technology to eliminate repetitive tasks.
In appointing a Happiness Officer, the company has even created a new post as the officer responsible for worker welfare. In addition, PMSweet is focusing on inclusivity, with the new factory home to gender neutral dressing rooms and a breastfeeding room.
From “Doctor Macarons” to Manager of the Year 2023
2023 was a year during which the company achieved a lot of its goals. In addition to the construction of their new production facility, Michaël Labro was singled out for praise as ‘Manager de l’année 2023’, an annual award that is handed out by weekly Belgian business magazine Trends-Tendances for which Michaël was up against six other nominees.
His story stood out from that of the other contenders. What started out in his grandparents’ garage developed into a business with 300 Food Heroes who produce artisanal, high-quality macarons on a day-to-day basis. And the remarkable thing is that Michaël is just 30 years of age.
“The title is a wonderful token of acknowledgement for the entire team. As we embark on a new chapter, we remain wholly committed to innovation, performance and sustainable growth. Our journey to the top continues unabated and our motivation to scale new heights is stronger than ever”, Michaël Labro concludes.