Download the file. - Groupe SEB

HOW DID YOU TACKLE FRENCH INDUSTRIAL
RESTRUCTURING?
YOU ARE NOW THE MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER
OF SUPOR IN CHINA.
NO DOUBT, YOU ARE PLEASED...
RESTRUCTURING, INVESTMENT IN CHINA,
MAKING THE GROUP MORE COMPETITIVE...
ARE THESE AIMS CONSISTENT WITH
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
INTERVIEW WITH THE CHAIRMAN
to €143 million. Our financial structure – after acquisition
of a 52.74% stake in Supor – remains solid, with a gearing
ratio of 76% which allows the Group a comfortable margin
of financial manoeuvre.
The industrial restructuring plan launched in France in
2006 is now completed, and I am glad to say that the
Group carried it through entirely in line with our ethical
values and commitments. Every employee was offered
an individual solution and we managed to ensure the
reindustrialization of the affected sites. Today, our French
manufacturing base is built around centres of expertise
with a strong orientation to production for export. Their
continual optimization is a guarantee of our long-term
competitive capacity and future growth.
Yes, very pleased indeed. To ensure our long-term development,
we seek to grow where growth potential is strongest
– particularly in emerging countries. We are already
well established in the markets of Central Europe, Russia,
Turkey and Brazil, for example, but the Group’s presence
is still limited in China. Our gaining control of Supor is an
exciting new venture and a huge opportunity. It opens up
vast horizons and will help us to break new ground both
geographically and in terms of technology. With Supor –
China’s market leader in cookware and number 2 in small
electric cooking appliances – Groupe SEB is today paving
the way for its expansion in China and throughout
Southeast Asia.
Underlying the principle of sustainable development is the
sustainability of the company. Without successful
performance, there can be no sustainable development.
My responsibility as head of the company is to make sure
that the Group is sufficiently competitive to guarantee its
future, while respecting an overall balance of interests.
In this regard, the immediate demands of growth and
profitability are closely interwoven with a responsible
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