Contents

1Presentation of the groupPresentation of SequanaAntalis – Key strengthsA global playerAntalis is one of the few paper distributors to enjoy a truly globalreach, with operations spanning 44 countries across Europe,South America, South Africa and Asia-Pacific.Balanced European coverageAntalis consolidated its position as European market leader byacquiring Map in late 2007. It now has operations in 28 countriesand has a market share of over 20% in 20 of them. This criticalmass allows it to optimise its supply chain and strengthen partnershipswith key suppliers. This broad geographical base alsoallows the company to spread risk more effectively.Antalis has operations in 17 countries across Western Europe,and enjoys a strong presence in the UK, France, Germanyand Switzerland, all of which contribute significantly to sales.Boasting a market share of almost 20% in volume terms in 2012,Antalis is the leading distributor of paper and packaging productsin the region. In 2012, Antalis generated €2,027 million in salesin Western Europe, (75% of its total sales), and €52 million inEBITDA (63% of its total EBITDA).In Eastern Europe, Antalis has operations in 11 countries includingthe Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Turkey and the BalticStates. Antalis is the leading distributor of paper and packagingproducts in volume terms in the region with a market share ofaround 28% in 2012. During the year, the company generated€374 million in sales (14% of its total sales) and €15 million inEBITDA (18% of its total EBITDA) in Eastern Europe.Growth drivers outside EuropeOutside Europe, Antalis has a strong foothold in South Africa,South America and Asia-Pacific. It has operations in seven countriesacross Asia and a further seven across South America. It isalso present in South Africa and Botswana, and exports to severalAfrican countries.Under the sales agreement in place with xpedx, the leading paperand packaging distributor in North America, Antalis is now ableto better serve its customers in the North American and Mexicanmarkets.In 2012, Antalis generated €294 million in sales outside Europe(11% of its total sales), €15 million in recurring operating income(26% of its total recurring operating income) and €16 million inEBITDA (19% of total EBITDA).Strong local presenceIn spite of its international profile, Antalis also enjoys a stronglocal presence. This is essential for meeting customer needs anddeveloping lasting commercial ties. Its local presence is underpinnedby a hands-on sales approach adapted to the specificcharacteristics and profile of each customer, which enables itto offer tailored solutions and efficient customer relationshipmanagement.Antalis’ sales teams are generally organised into three maincategories:■■a field salesforce, in charge of visiting customers in given areas;■■telesales staff, responsible for telephone marketing operationsfor a specific customer segment; and■■in-house sales teams (known as sales advisors), providing supportto field sales teams, making outgoing calls, processingorders and managing certain administrative tasks.Under the company-wide RACE 2012 programme, Antalis’ salesorganisation was rethought in order to provide more added valueto customers. Field sales teams now deal exclusively with majoraccounts, while telesales staff handle smaller customers. This newlooksales organisation is accompanied by increased specialisationof the sales teams’ expertise, tighter coordination between the differentsales channels and the continued roll-out of CRM tools.Efficient data and CRM toolsIn customer relationship management, Antalis makes significant,ongoing investments to upgrade its IT systems, a key factor drivinggrowth and opportunities for development.The aims of its IT strategy are to:■■standardise and harmonise order processing, customer invoicing,raw material purchasing, inventory management, productioncontrol, delivery management and financial oversight usingERP tools within all entities. The number of programmes wasreduced from 16 in 2007 to 7 at the end of 2011 and will bereduced to 4 by the end of 2015;■■focus on sales, marketing and customer initiatives by rollingout CRM tools across the globe (30 countries were covered atthe end of 2012), develop new electronic services and ensurethat IT plays a part in programmes and initiatives aimed atimproving customer service quality;■■roll out e-commerce solutions for its customers and suppliers inorder to improve efficiency and customer service, in particularby developing an e-commerce platform (see page 29);■ ■ unlock cost synergies using a central IT platform (a singledata centre was created out of the three existing centres inMarch 2012, leading to a 30% reduction in IT infrastructurecosts for Antalis) and a supplier/customer message process;24 | Sequana | 2012 Document de référence (English version)