Jean-Yves Roulleau, 32, founder of Cire et Services

Jean-Yves Roulleau, founder of Cire et Services 

“Sometimes you have to stray off the beaten track to find your niche and fulfil your potential. I’m living proof of that!”

In 2009, Jean-Yves Roulleau began a DUT in information technologies in Anglet, then went on to do a Bachelor’s as part of a work-study programme with EDF, at the Golfech power plant. Back in Agen, he found a passion for something completely different – beekeeping – and created Cire et Services. 

What were your university years like? 

I’m from Agen, and I really enjoyed my two years at the UPPA campus in Anglet. The setting was just amazing - I shared a flat with a friend in Biarritz, just five minutes from the beach. There was a good atmosphere among the students in my year, and the lecturers were really attentive to each individual student. I chose that course because IT development, programming and analysis really appealed to me. Like a lot of teenagers, I was really into video games, and I spent a lot of time on my computer. My years at university taught me a lot about myself. As the months went by, I realised that the world of information technology means working in an urban environment, spending your life in front of a computer, and training continuously to keep abreast of the latest technologies. In fact, there was a real difference between what I imagined working in IT to be like, and what it actually involves. That said, I learned to manage projects, study budgets, communicate, read contracts, develop network architectures, etc. which are all really useful competencies to have if you want to create a company. 

When did the idea of creating Cire et Services come to you? 

After my studies when I went back to Agen, I gave myself a bit of downtime before looking for a job. I was interested in beekeeping but knew nothing about the sector at all, and I wanted to make honey. I went to talk to professionals, and I realised that there was a niche to be developed on customised comb foundation of the wax collected from beehives. In the end, I designed my own machine -  there’s only one manufacturer in Europe and they’re really expensive - and I created the company in 2017. Cires et Services processes 500 kg of beeswax per day on average, between November and April. We have a partnership with a transporter who collects the beeswax from our customers and delivers the comb foundation sheets back to them to be installed in the beehives. That’s how I went from the networks in a nuclear power station to providing services to beekeepers. Two thirds of my customers are in greater southwest France, and the rest are in the southeast and in Brittany. 

What words do you spontaneously associate with the UPPA? 

Year group atmosphere, lecturing, diversity. 

What advice would you give to a future student? 

I’d tell them to take the time to gather all the information they need before enrolling in a given course, find out about the subjects taught and about the actual career opportunities and jobs they have access to after graduating. There are no dead ends in studying you just sometimes have to stray off the beaten track to find your niche and fulfil your potential. I’m living proof of that! 

→www.cireetservices.fr