JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #113 - June 2017 - 11

strategy NEWS

The Porcher Industries Group on all fronts
Founded over 100 years ago to weave silk yarns, and graduating from those
to technical textiles, Porcher Industries was acquired by Warwick Capital in
June 2016. To provide the expertise for this exciting new chapter in Porcher's
history, André Genton was appointed Chairman of the Executive Management
Board and CEO.

n 3 June 2016 the British
investment fund Warwick
Capital acquired a controlling interest in the Porcher
Industries Group. André Genton
was appointed Chairman of the
Executive Management Board
and CEO. Genton inherited the
business as a stable entity but one
that was not necessarily realising
its global ambitions.
First acquisition takes place
in Automotive sector
Now that page has been turned
the Group is rapidly moving
forward. The first visible sign of
this commitment to development came in November 2016
with the purchase of Cordtech
International, a company specializing in the processing and treatment of technical fibres for the
automotive market. Cordtech

interview

was formerly the French-based
site for the American group
Milliken. It has a workforce of
72 and is located at Saint-Julienen-Saint-Alban (Ardèche region), about ten kilometers from
Porcher Industries. The two facilities are involved in very similar activities while operating
in complementary market segments, occasionally for the same
customers.
Thanks to the acquisition of
Cordtech International (the
Porcher Group's first acquisition since 1989), the company is
strengthening its position in the
European market for transmission belt reinforcements, and is
uniquely positioned in the rubber industry. This all serves one
of the groups growth objectives
in automotive, one of its largest
markets. The acquisition enables
Porcher Industries to step up its
offering, based on the existing
The group's acquisition by
Warwick Capital stabilizes it.
What is the fund's philosophy in
this case?

André Genton: I would

André Genton,
Chairman of the Executive
Management Board
Porcher Industries

say that the core philosophy
of the fund is to facilitate
sustainable and profitable
growth within the business.
Clearly they want to see
progress, but Warwick has

R&D and the technical and commercial synergies between the
two companies.
Cordtech's well-known expertise, its position in its market and
its customer portfolio should
help the group to strengthen its
position in its markets. As for
Cordtech International, it is now
able to benefit from the resources

of an international group.
Porcher Industries' worldwide
automotive activities generate
more than €100 million in annual turnover, and are growing. Porcher proposes a broad
range of products for airbag, exhaust-system, chassis, brakehose, and transmission-belt applications, among others.

Carbon fibre reinforced PEEK prepreg Spheriflex rotor hub developed with Airbus
Helicopters © A.PECCI. Airbus Helicopters.

been very supportive overall,
working proactively with us
to build solid foundations for
growth as we move forward to
this new chapter.
Announcements for acquisitions,
investments, restructuring, and
more are coming at a sustained
pace. What are your priorities
as Executive Chairman of the

No113 June 2017

Management Board?

A. G.: You're right, progress has
been constant, but overall it was
quite a slow acquisition process
and now we must accelerate
things. We have to increase
the pace and then keep the
momentum going!
We have some dynamic plans.
The initial priorities will be to
invest in existing facilities and

/ jec composites magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #113 - June 2017