“Choose France” Awards 2025: Nidec, Vorwerk and Mars rewarded

Organized by Business France, under the supervision of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, as well as the Ministry for Regional Cohesion and Decentralization, and in collaboration with the États de France, the “Choose France” Awards showcase foreign investments that contribute to the country’s economic dynamism. 

This year, the jury, chaired by Pascal Cagni, Ambassador for International Investment and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Business France, selected three winners whose projects have led to the opening of new production capacities, the modernization of existing facilities and the creation of skilled jobs. These achievements demonstrate the direct impact of the announcements made at the Choose France Summits on economic activity and employment.

« The winners of the 2025 ‘Choose France’ Awards highlight the essential contribution of foreign investors to France’s economic development. Whether it be technological innovation, industrial performance or skills development, their investments demonstrate renewed confidence in our country’s economic attractiveness. We’re pleased to celebrate three companies - Nidec, Vorwerk and Mars - for the tangible impact of their investments announced at the Choose France Summit on our regions, » 

Marie-Cécile Tardieu, Chief Operating Officer (Investment Division) at Business France

The winners are awarded the following prizes : 

• The Choose France “Innovation / Innovative Technologies” prize

was awarded to the Japanese firm Nidec, a specialist in the manufacture of electrical equipment, which invested €17 million in phase one of its new site in La Fouillouse, near Saint-Étienne, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. This new factory, inaugurated in July 2025, is dedicated to the production of high-power electrical storage systems, which is strategic equipment for integrating renewable energies into electrical grids, electrifying ports and charging electric vehicles. The new La Fouillouse site employs 350 people and includes R&D resources.

Nidec, present in France since 2011, generates revenues of over €1.5 billion within France’s borders and employs more than 3,500 people throughout the country. Nidec’s strategy is to continue developing its industrial capacity in France, as announced at “Choose France” 2025.

• The Choose France “Ecological Transition and Decarbonization” prize 

was awarded to the German firm Vorwerk, a specialist in high-end household appliances, which invested €129.7 million this year in opening a new production facility in Donnemain-Saint-Mamès, creating 124 jobs. This new site in the Centre-Val de Loire region will strengthen the integration of its value chain by internalizing the production of certain Thermomix components. The firm is thereby contributing to the ecological transition and sustainable development by reducing the need for transport and using 100% decarbonized energy.

Vorwerk has a significant presence in France, employing 1,500 people across two Thermomix assembly plants in Centre-Val de Loire, as well as its headquarters in Nantes, and 85 branches throughout the country. The group also announced the creation of a storage, final assembly and packaging center in La Chapelle-du-Noyer (Centre-Val de Loire region) amounting to an investment of approximately €30 million. This site, which will eventually employ around one hundred people, will complement the firm’s industrial complex in Centre-Val de Loire and demonstrates Vorwerk’s strong interest in France.

• The Choose France “Talent and Training for the Future” prize 

was presented to the American group Mars for its consistent investments in the Grand Est, Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts de France and Occitanie regions. With more than €500 million invested in France over the last five years, Mars has confirmed its long-term investment strategy, remaining true to its local roots and convinced of France’s potential for innovation and development.

Mars focuses on training its future employees, notably through tangible partnerships with higher education institutions and the joint development of certified training programs with the Grand Est region, which hosts the majority of the group’s employees in France. Mars was ranked first in the “Happy Trainees 2025” survey, with it being home to some of the happiest and most motivated trainees in France. Each year, the firm recruits 200 people, primarily for technical and industrial roles. Mars also invests in the continuing education of its employees, via Mars University, and promotes internal mobility through 500 job changes per year.