Pascal Biscroma, an iconic business leader in the Alpes-Maritimes region, has died suddenly.

A great man. Pascal Biscroma undoubtedly was one. Less by his imposing build, 130 kilos for nearly 1.9 meters tall—that's saying something—than by his immense attachment to the local economy. The co-manager of Courbaisse Transports, a family business specializing in dumpster transport, located in Saint-Blaise, in the Var valley, died suddenly on May 5, 2025. At 54, the "gentle colossus" was taken in a few weeks by a fulminating brain tumor, leaving a "huge void" in the world of entrepreneurs in the Alpes-Maritimes region.

"Between us, in business, we often think in terms of power relations, we establish a certain distance. But Pascal was the complete opposite. If he was charismatic, he was incredibly kind and helpful," describes Pierre Ippolito, not without emotion. At the head of the Ippolito group and president of the Union Pour l'Entreprise 06, he wishes to pay tribute to "a faithful childhood friend, a hard worker, omnipresent from Fréjus to Menton, passing through the valleys [of the upper Nice region], where he was also very present. He was a leader, a unifier."

"Leader and unifier"

A gift he put to good use by creating Squadra Unica, an informal circle of fellow entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, always up for sharing a meal or a contract. "The main thing was to keep the local economy alive. He was really proud to work in the Alpes-Maritimes," Philippe Biscroma fondly recalls. Dignified in his deep grief, the brother tells his younger brother about their beginnings in the family workshop. Then "Dad's death" in 1987, the parachute to the top of the company, from worker to manager. "We had to be responsive, versatile. Today, we've gone from twenty-five employees to more than seventy, we've created a brand image, and bought the First Stop garages in St-Blaise and BestDrive in Cagnes-sur-Mer. To get there, Pascal's enthusiasm, his tact, and his powerful personality have been the driving forces."

Celebrating life, to the very end

A living force that the announcement of certain death never weakened. Even in the hospital, when no operation could cure his tumor, Pascal Biscroma remained a joyful fighter, tenacious and smiling, a lover of good food and a bon vivant. "When he learned of his illness, he went around to his friends, his suppliers, to say goodbye and invite them to one last party," his brother says admiringly. "There were almost eighty of us gathered around a table in Théoule."

At the end of March, the whole team came together at Panama, a restaurant run by José Cobos, a friend. The former football player and coach of OGC Nice (1), remembers the image of a family clan "united in adversity as well as in joy. Just like Pascal."

It was therefore natural that his loved ones wanted to make his "funeral an event, a beautiful celebration." It was no less necessary to pay tribute to a great man. The civil ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10 a.m., in the town hall square of Castagniers, followed by burial in the village cemetery.

(1) Pascal Biscroma was also co-president of La Selecio, an amateur football club in the county of Nice.