Axel Iauch is not a docker. The professional life of this young Breton, however, revolves around shipping containers. But rather than unloading them, he chose to give a second life to these large metal boxes used for transporting goods by offering them new uses. The adventure started in 2021 in Rennes with the Station REV project. Associated with Lambert Garnier, Axel Iauch transformed old containers into secure bicycle parking lots with the possibility of recharging your electric bike using photovoltaic panels installed on the roof.
Twelve mobility stations have so far been installed in the region, notably in Brittany, the Occitanie region and Isère. After fundraising which should take place in the coming weeks, the entrepreneurial duo plans to accelerate deployment with a goal of installing “around fifty stations next year”, according to their co-founder.
Five devices installed in the containers
In addition to mobility, Axel Iauch is also launching into the sports-health niche. With his new Racine project, this time he aims to set up small energy-independent fitness rooms in these old maritime containers. With almost 5,000 sports and fitness centers, there is however no shortage of supply in France. “There is plenty of choice in large cities or medium-sized towns but there are more remote areas where there is nothing,” he assures. At the beginning of November, the first “rural fitness” room opened its doors in a container installed near the Lanmeur football stadium in northern Finistère. A town where “the nearest gym is fifteen minutes by car”, specifies Axel Iauch.
Inside the 30 m2 metal box, members, limited to three each time, have the choice between five machines with a treadmill and a racing bike and two weight training machines. The subscription to access the room, open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., costs 15 euros per month compared to “35 euros on average. » “We chose accessible prices to really promote healthy sports in these areas,” underlines Axel Iauch.
In addition to rural communities, it also targets businesses with its reduced fitness rooms. A concept which tends to develop with more and more players on the market. “But often, the containers only serve as storage places for sports coaches who offer outdoor sessions,” underlines the young Breton entrepreneur. In the future, he also wants to work with local producers to offer fruit and vegetable baskets that members can collect directly from the gym. “We want to combine fitness with sustainable eating,” he insists. Because it’s good to do sport but we lose all the benefits if we have an unbalanced diet. »