Julie Duriez

« Pour nous, la formation continue est primordiale »

Qu’elle intervienne dans le cadre d’un entretien régulier ou en service d’urgence, cette entrepreneuse dynamique veille avec sa société Hygiène 4D à protéger les bâtiments des nuisibles.

Prix Transmission

Dossier réalisé par Eve Chatelet

“I wasn’t predestined for this job, but I channelled all my energy into it and really enjoyed the entrepreneurial aspect of it,” explains Julie Duriez, who oversees Hygiène 4D. After studying hospitality and catering, then design, she took over the family business, which her father had founded in 1976, on his death. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity for a proper handover. “You can hear about how a company works from its manager, but it’s completely different from the experience of running it. I was 23 when I chose to take over the family business because I thought it was a shame that nobody wanted to step up. I didn’t want it to disappear. I found the management side fairly straightforward, because I had worked in restaurants and developed organisation skills, but I had to carve out a role for myself in this very masculine profession, surrounded by older people. Up until that point, the company had had a loose structure, so it wasn’t easy to get things under control. We are fortunate enough now to have two agencies, and we talk to them frequently on the network and over Zoom,” continues the manager, who has led the company into the digital world.

A taste for entrepreneurship

“My impression is that we as a profession are essential, but we must keep moving with the times. Environmental protection regulations are
getting stricter, and we have to think smart and use the right products. Rodents have always been a problem in people’s homes. They obviously have a role to play in our ecosystems, but when you consider that they can carry leptospirosis or increase the spread of diseases like Covid-19, they become more of a problem. We provide in-house training on an ongoing basis,” continues the entrepreneur, who also runs other businesses (office real estate and sports). “Our profession is not something you can learn at school, but gradually with experience. I have worked with my human resources assistant to develop an effective recruitment process that helps us find the most suitable candidates. We implement a specific targeting protocol and are always monitoring.
I now have a strong team that feels like a family.” 

Hygiène 4D

With two agencies – Vallauris and Paris – the company provides services to hotels, businesses and apartment buildings, as well as private homes. “It is crucial that people take action as soon as they see the first signs of infestation, because pests reproduce extremely quickly and things can easily get out of control. A specific gel can be used against silverfish, which is effective as long as it is applied correctly and in the right areas. For rodents, treatment and bait placement are strategic. When we provide our services, we either eradicate the pests in one go, or we may have to return several times to ensure all the generations have been removed. We also provide annual maintenance services every year for buildings,” explains Julie Duriez. Please note that Hygiène 4D also offers disinfection services.