C) Apprenticeship at Terrial
TERRIAL, manufacturer of organic fertilizers:
I completed my apprenticeship contract from September 2020 to August 2021. Founded in 1996, Terrial is a company based in Bruz (35), affiliated with two major groups: Avril and Suez. Today, it is the market leader in organic fertilizers and soil amendments in France.
From the very beginning, the company has been committed to a sustainable, responsible, and environmentally respectful approach.
It operates two composting plants in Chançay (37) and Baupréau (49) and processes more than 600 raw materials. Terrial produces and sells over 700,000 tons of organic fertilizers per year.
The company's core business is selling products to professionals (farmers and cooperatives), but it also has a gardening division, which I worked on during my apprenticeship.
My tasks were divided into two parts:
- Commercial tasks: This involved prospecting and client follow-up through physical or telephone appointments with garden centers.
- Internal market study: I conducted a market study on garden organic fertilizers and soil amendments (collecting and analyzing statistical data, studying the product range, etc.) with the goal of expanding our product line.
- Logistics tasks at the end of the apprenticeship:
I was responsible for organizing and monitoring the pickup and delivery of products, as well as data entry in Excel.
What I Learned:
The agronomic sector of my company provided me with extensive knowledge in this field.
Thanks to my role as a sales representative, I now know how to:
- Manage a client portfolio.
- Understand clients' needs.
- Advise clients and offer tailored solutions.
- Prospect and report on my commercial activities.
- Develop a project.
- Conduct a market study, specifically in the garden organic fertilizer sector.
This professional experience also helped me develop numerous soft skills:
- Autonomy and organization: Traveling alone and organizing my work weeks.
- Adaptability: Adjusting to a new environment and new clients.
- Rigor: Regular reporting and adhering to strict safety-focused company standards.
- Stress management: Handling an intense workload with long hours.
- Sense of responsibility: Taking charge of key company tasks independently, negotiating with buyers from major purchasing groups (such as Agrial), representing the company alone for two months, and ensuring a smooth transfer of activities at the end of my apprenticeship.