Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational company, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La DÃÆ' Â © fense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also manufactures a variety of high-performance construction and materials. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.
Video Saint-Gobain
History
1665-1789: Producing royale
Since the mid-17th century, luxury products such as silk textiles, lace and mirrors are in great demand. In the 1660s, the mirrors have become very popular among the upper class: Italian cabinets, chÃÆ' Â ¢ teaux and bedside tables and dock-tables adorned with these expensive and luxurious products. At that time, however, France was not known for its mirror technology; on the contrary, the Republic of Venice is known as the world leader in glass manufacturing, which controls the technical and commercial monopoly of the glass and mirror business. French finance minister Olivier Bluche wants France fully self-sufficient in meeting domestic demand for luxury products, thereby strengthening the national economy.
Colbert was founded by the public company's patent letter Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs ( French pronunciation: Ã, [manyfacty" Wajal d ?? Las d? Mi? Wa?] , Royal Mirror Glass Factory ) in October 1665. The company was created for a period of twenty years and will be financed in part by the State. The first beneficiaries and directors were French financiers Nicolas du Noyer, tax recipient of Orlà © ans, who was awarded a glass-making and glass mirror monopoly for a period of twenty years. The company has an informal name Compagnie du Noyer .
To compete with the Italian mirror industry, Colbert commissioned several Venetian glassmakers whom he had lured to Paris to work in the company. The first unblemished mirror was produced in 1666. Soon the mirror made at Faubourg Saint-Antoine, under French company, began to rival Venice. The French company was able to produce a mirror that was 40 to 45 inches long (1.0 to 1.1 m), which at the time was considered impressive. The rivalry between France and Venice became so fierce that Venice considered it a crime for every glass craftsman to abandon and practice their trade elsewhere, especially in foreign territory. Nicolas du Noyer complained in writing that the jealous Venetians did not want to impart the secret of glassmaking to the French workers, and that the Company had trouble paying its costs. The distraction of Paris proved to be disturbing to the workers, and the supply of firewood to ignite the stove was more expensive in the capital than elsewhere. In 1667 glassmaking was moved to a small glass furnace already employed in Tourlaville, near Cherbourg in Normandy, and a place in Faubourg Saint-Antoine devoted to grinding and polishing raw products.
Although Compagnie du Noyer was reduced at the time to import Venetian glass and finish it in France, in September 1672 the French royal factory was on a firm footing for imported glass that would be banned for one of Louis's subjects, in any condition. In 1678, the company produced glass for Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
In 1683, the company's financial arrangements with the State were updated over the next two decades. However, in 1688, rival Compagnie Thà © vart was created, also financed partly by the state. Compagnie ThÃÆ'  © vart uses a new casting process which enables it to make glass glass mirrors measuring at least 60 x 40 inches (1.5 x 1.0 m), much larger than 40 inches (1.0 m ) that can be created by Compagnie du Noyer .
The two companies competed for seven years, until 1695, when the economy slowed and their technical and commercial rivalries became counterproductive. Under orders from the French government, the two companies were forced to join, creating a Compagnie Plastier .
In 1702 Compagnie Plastier declared bankruptcy. A group of Franco-Swiss Protestant bankers rescued the collapsed company, renaming it to Compagnie Dagincourt. At the same time, the company was granted a royal patent that allowed it to maintain a legal monopoly in the glass manufacturing industry until the French Revolution (1789), despite the loud, sometimes violent, protests of partisan free enterprise.
1789-1910: Industrial Revolution
In 1789, as a consequence of the French Revolution, the financial privileges and state competition granted to Compagnie Dagincourt were abolished. The company must now rely on the participation and capital of private investors, although it remains partly under the control of the French state.
In the 1820s, Saint-Gobain continued to function just like the one under the Ancien RÃ © rail, producing high-quality mirrors and glass for the luxury market. However, in 1824, a new glass manufacturer was established in Commentry, France, and in 1837 some Belgian glass manufacturers were also established. While Saint-Gobain continues to dominate the high-end luxury mirror and glass market, its newly created competitors are focusing their attention on the manufacture of medium- and low-quality products. Making such quality products is made of mirrors and glass is affordable for the masses. In response, the company expanded its product line to include glass and lower-quality mirrors.
In 1830, just as Louis-Philippe became the newly restored French Monarchy, Saint-Gobain was transformed into a Public Limited Company and became independent of the country for the first time.
While the mirrors remain their main business, Saint-Gobain is beginning to diversify their product line to include glass panels for skylights, roof and room dividers, thick mirrors, semi-thick glass for windows, laminated mirrors and glass and eventually mirrors and window panels. Some of the notable buildings donated by Saint-Gobain during that period were the Crystal Palace in London, the le Jardin des Plantes, les Grand et Petit Palais and Les Halles > in Paris, and the Milan train station.
Saint-Gobain joined the other French glass and mirror manufacturer, Saint-Quirin, in the mid-19th century. After the merger, the company was able to control 25% of European glass and mirror production (previously, only 10-15%). In response to increasing international competition, the company began to open new manufacturing facilities in countries without domestic producers.
Saint-Gobain dumped a blank glass of some of the largest optical reflecting telescopes in the early 20th century, including the 60-inch Hale telescope telescope (1.5 m) (online in 1908) and the Hooker 100-inch (2.5 m) telescope 1917) at the Mount Wilson Observatory (USA), and the 72-inch (1.8 m) Plaskett telescope (online in 1918) at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (Canada).
1910-1950: Post Industrial Revolution
Saint-Gobain experienced significant success in the early 20th century. In 1918 the company expanded its plant into bottles, bottles, cutlery, and household utensils.
In 1920, Saint-Gobain expanded its business into fiberglass manufacturing. Fiberglass is used to create insulation, industrial textiles and building reinforcements. In 1937 the company established Isover , a subsidiary of fiberglass insulation manufacturers.
During this period, the company developed three new glass manufacturing techniques and processes; first, the dyeing technique used to coat the car windows, which prevents the glass from breaking in the event of an accident. As a result of the technique, 10% of the 1920 Saint-Gobain sales came from the car industry, and 28% in 1930. Second, a few years later, another technique was developed that enabled glass to be formed and bent. Finally, a process was developed to coat glass with aluminum, allowing it to be used as a conductor, and allowing the company to create products such as radiavers (glass heaters). 1950-1970: _Pont-ÃÆ' -Mousson_merger "> 1950-1970: Pont- ÃÆ' -Mousson merger
Between 1950 and 1969, Saint-Gobain sales rose at a rate of 10% per year. The workforce grew from 35,000 in 1950 to 100,000 in 1969. In the late 1960s, Saint-Gobain had more than 150 subsidiaries under its control.
Glass and fiberglass sales have benefited from the booming construction industry and increased mass consumption after the Second World War. The annual glass production of Saint-Gobain rose from 3.5 million square feet (38 million square feet) in 1950 to 45 million square meters (480 million square feet) in 1969. In 1950, fiberglass represented only 4% of the company's turnover, but by 1969, this has grown to 20%.
Domestic sales in France accounted for only one-fifth of the company's revenue. Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium are also important markets.
In 1968, Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), a French industrial group, made a hostile takeover bid for Saint-Gobain. The company is looking for a "white knight" to help fend off the offer. The Suez multinational company suggested that Saint-Gobain and Pont-ÃÆ'-Mousson (other French industrial groups) should join, to maintain the independence of BSN. After the merger, Saint-Gobain-Pont-ÃÆ' -Mousson , then known simply as "Saint-Gobain", produces a pipe other than glass and fiberglass.
1971-1986: Nationalization
The next fifteen years is the time of change and reorganization for newly joined companies. In the 1970s, Western economies experienced a sharp decline. Saint-Gobain's financial performance is affected by the economic and gas crisis.
In 1981 and 1982, ten of France's best-performing companies were nationalized by the Socialist Fifth Republic of France. In February 1982, Saint-Gobain was officially controlled by the state. However, the company did not last as a government-owned company; it was privatized back in 1987.
<1985-present: Expansion
When Saint-Gobain once again became a private company, the company's control quickly changed hands. Jean-Louis Beffa, an engineer and graduate of Polytechnic ÃÆ' â € °, became CEO. Beffa invests heavily in research and development and strongly encourages companies to produce engineered materials, such as abrasives and ceramics.
Under Beffa, the company continues to expand internationally, establish foreign factories, and acquire many of its foreign competitors. In 1996 the company purchased Poliet (French building and construction distribution group) and its subsidiaries, such as Point P. and Lapeyre. It extends Saint-Gobain's product line into its construction and distribution materials. In 2005, Olivier Bluche took over the Supply Chain operation, quickly modernizing the long and dated corporate processes.
Maps Saint-Gobain
Company structure
Head Office
The company has its headquarters in Les Miroirs in La DÃÆ' Â © fense and in Courbevoie. The 97-meter (318 ft) building has served as the company's headquarters since 1981.
Committee
Executive Committee
- Pierre-AndrÃÆ'Â © de Chalendar, CEO
- Laurent Guillot, CFO
General management committee
- Pierre-AndrÃÆ'Â © de Chalendar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Claude Imauven, Chief Operating Officer
- Armand Ajdari, Vice President, Research & amp; Development and Innovation
- Benoit Bazin, Senior Vice President of Construction Product Sector
- Julie Bonamy, Vice President, Corporate Planning & amp; Strategy
- Fabrice Didier, Vice President, Marketing
- Patrick Dupin, Senior Vice President Responsible for Flat Glass Activities
- Laurent Guillot, Senior Vice President of High Performance Materials Sector
- BenoÃÆ'®t d'Iribarne, General Delegations in Germany, Austria, and Benelux, Coordinate the Industry Excellence Program, including WCM
- Thomas Kinisky, Senior Vice President, General Delegate for North America
- KÃÆ'  ¥ re O. Malo, Senior Vice President Mastering Building Distribution Sector
- Claire Pedini, Senior Vice President Responsible for Human Resources
- Laurence Pernot, Vice President, Communications
- Jean-FranÃÆ'§ois Phelizon, Senior Vice President Responsible for Internal Audit and Internal Control
- Guillaume Texier, Chief Financial Officer
- FrÃÆ'Â © dÃÆ' Â © ric Verger, Chief Information Officer
- Antoine Vignial, Corporate Secretary Responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility
Financial data
Financial data in 2008 in the millions of euros.
Business Field
Saint-Gobain is regulated in three major Sectors (% in 2014 Net Sales re-declared excluding Verallia): Building Distribution (49%), Construction Products (27.5%), Innovative Materials (23.5%).
Building distribution
The Saint-Gobain Building Distribution Division (building equipment) was formed in 1996. It has since grown both internally and through acquisitions (in France with Point P. and Lapeyre, England with Jewson and Graham, in Germany, the Netherlands and Eastern Europe with Raab Karcher and in the Nordic Country with Dahl). The division has 4,000 stores in 24 countries and employs 63,000 people worldwide. The 2006 sales amounted to 17.6 billion euros. The subsidiaries' divisions are:
- SGBD UK
- Raab Karcher
- Point P.
- Lapeyre
- BrÃÆ'¸drene (Brother) Dahl
- Norporn Distribution
- Optimera, with the 'Monter' DIY chain
Construction products
The Construction Products Division is organized into the following business areas:
- Gypsum, which produces drywall - Isolation, which manufactures fiberglass acoustic and thermal and PIR insulation - Exterior products, which produce roofing products, interior and exterior - Pipes, which manufactures iron pipes for water transfer applications - Mortar, which produces light aggregate of expanded clay.
The Construction Products Division employs 45,000 people worldwide and in 2006 had sales revenue of 10.9 billion euros.
Company:
- CertainTeed
- Gyproc
- Weber
- Celotex, based in Hadleigh, Suffolk
Innovative materials
Innovative Materials Division conducts research into various fields of materials science, energy, environment, and medicine, such as fuel cells or particle filters. It operates centers in Cavaillon, Northborough, Massachusetts and Shanghai, employing 35,800 people. Overall, division sales consist of at least 30% of new products. In 2006, total sales revenue was 4.9 billion euros. Innovative Materials also manufactures glass products, including self-cleaning, electrochromic, low emissivity and sunscreen glass. It's active in 39 countries, targeting developing countries, a market that now accounts for more than a third of division sales. It employs a global workforce of 37,100 and in 2006 had sales revenue of 5.1 billion euros. This division is divided into two parts:
- Subsidiary of Flat Glass: Glass Saint-Gobain, Glassolutions and Saint-Gobain Sekurit
- High Performance Materials: Saint-Gobain SEFPRO Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Crystal Saint-Gobain, Saint-Gobain Norton, Saint-Gobain Quartz and Saint-Gobain Norpro
In 2006, Saint Gobain announced JV, Avancis, with Shell to produce PV modules based on CIS film technology. After the company fully owned Avancis and its two factories in Germany, manufacturing thin film CIS modules for some time, it was sold to China National Building Materials Group Corporation (CNBM) in 2014.
Packaging
The Packaging Division produces glassware for the food and beverage industry. The 2006 division's sales revenue is 4.1 billion euros, and employs 20,000 people worldwide. The Packaging Division was renamed Verallia. In accordance with the announcement of June 8, 2015, Saint-Gobain today sells Verallia to funds managed by affiliates Apollo Global Management LLC and the French BPI, which currently holds 90% and 10%, respectively, of share capital.
External venturing
Saint-Gobain also has a division that focuses on connecting entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators to 50 bin Saint-Gobain called: NOVA External Venturing. The External Venturing Unit has staff in Boston, Paris, and Shanghai who are interested in connecting with entrepreneurs working in advanced materials, construction products, and environmental sustainability.
Acquisitions and sales
Saint-Gobain has made a number of recent acquisitions in recent years. In December 2005, he bought British company BPB plc, the world's largest plasterboard manufacturer, for $ 6.7 billion USD. In August 2007, the company acquired Maxit Group, doubling the size of the Industrial Mortars business and adding aggregate clay-making to its business portfolio. In 2012, the company acquired SAGE Electrochromics, an innovative glass producer stained with orders.
The company has also sold various assets. Recently the company sold its cosmetic glass manufacturing business, including a factory in Newton County, Georgia, United States.
Saint-Gobain Gyproc Middle East
Saint-Gobain Gyproc Middle East started trading as Gyproc in 2005. In April 2010, the company's first plasterboard manufacturing plant opened on a seven-acre site in Abu Dhabi.
Gyproc products have been used in some of the largest projects in the region, including major stations and depots for Metro Dubai; Atlantis Hotel - Palm Jumeirah, Capital Gate - Abu Dhabi, Experience Ferrari - Abu Dhabi and Masdar Institute - Abu Dhabi.
Glass Saint-Gobain India
Saint-Gobain Glass India is a subsidiary of Saint Gobain that manufactures and markets solar control glass, refractory glass and various other types of life glasses in India. Saint-Gobain Glass India has its factory in Sriperumbudur, 40 kilometers (25 million) from Chennai.
Saint-Gobain started its business in India in 1996 by acquiring a majority stake in Grindwell Norton. Then in 2000, the company started a glass manufacturing unit in Sriperumbudur. In June 2011, Saint Gobain Glass India acquired Sezal Glass floatline business, based in the state of Gujarat, India. The acquisition adds about 550 tons per day of additional capacity, and the deal was signed around 150 million USD.
See also
- Saint-Louis (glass manufacturer)
- Albert Merlin
References
Source
- Compagnie de Saint-Gobain - History
- Reuters Articles - Heidelberg Cement, Maximum Group Acquisition
Further reading
- Hamon, Maurice (1999) From Sun to Earth, 1665-1999: the history of Saint-Gobain . Jean-Claude LattÃÆ'¨s
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments