I studied the Frimaco file for six months

After the takeover last year of Cryologistic by Stef-TFE, Nexia, no. 2 of France cold, had to respond. This is what has happened with the purchase by Nexia (for a secret amount) of 100 of the capital of Frimaco, one of the leaders of the storage and distribution of frozen in the Paris region. With this acquisition, Nexia (195 million of CA, 2 100 employees at 29 sites in France), which already achieves 10 of its CA in negative cold, is positioned as a strong alternative on this growing market (frozen: 4 per year so that the positive cold market is slack) where it can provide a complete offer.

The business plan provides for an increase of 50 of the activity over two years

With 15 million euros of CA and 180 employees, Frimaco, chaired by Michel Fresler, specializes in transportation, messaging, and frozen logistics. It holds a 40 share of market in the Paris region. With this acquisition, Nexia, which already includes common references with Frimaco (Socopa, Freiberger, Martine specialities, crossroad...), will offer its customers a total storage capacity of 330,000 m3 in negative cold, including the establishment of a platform located in the heart of the MIN (market of National interest) of Rungis. To meet the needs of the German industrial and Benelux, Nexia will open by end of 2006 a 35,000 m3 storage volume to Atton in Lorraine, strong demand for flows of production and distribution area.

As on positive cold and the industrial refrigeration market, customers from negative cold, large distribution in mind, want now work with a single interlocutor but head of the chain of benefits from upstream to downstream (transport, storage, preparation of command, deliveries). At the same time, restoration (collective and at home) knows growth in double digits.

"However, on a market in full concentration, it create its place of actor in the supply chain." After a fiscal year 2005 marked by our efforts to lower costs, improve quality and pursue the path of economic development, Nexia was to resume commercial conquest structure. I studied the Frimaco file for six months. The brand will be retained and Frimaco, which will be chaired by Michel Fesler, will identify real synergies with Nexia. "Our business plan table on a CA 50 on the next two years and profitable growth", says the LTL Alain Rouas, Nexia President.

Three kinds of synergies: the multiregional, the transport and storage capacity

Synergies are three fold. First of all, the new package will provide a multi-regional full offer, especially in Ile-de-France and the is great; a more critical in the eyes of the distribution and of multiple clients that call themselves "plaintiffs". Synergy transport then. Nexia, which is first and foremost a transport company, 40 road sets held in own by Frimaco (the greater part of its fleet is contracted out) are a size advantage. "This will enable us to optimize the costs of distribution and transportation costs, particularly in East and South of the France," says Alain Rouas.

Third axis where synergies will play: the offer of the group. With only 10 of its CA in frozen foods and 50 000 m3 of storage in negative cold, Nexia own was too small to convince customers of national stature. But the situation changes as soon as we add the 240,000 m3, distributed on six sites, from Frimaco.