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The group’s holding company, Arpadis Group SA, was incorporated on 07/04/1999 as DPS-Group. It holds participating interests in the various group entities.
Arpadis SA (which became Arpadis Chemicals SA) and Arpadis France SAS were incorporated first in 1999 and Arpadis Suisse S.a.r.l. was incorporated in mid-2001.
At the same time, Arpadis Chemicals SA (formerly Arpadis SA) launched its chemical product distribution business in Antwerp with a small but dynamic and experienced team. It operates on the worldwide chemical products distribution market.
Arpadis offers an additional service to that of its rival producers and major distributors by providing its customers a tailor-made service thanks to its adaptability, its flexibility and its in-depth knowledge of its partners’ market. The group quickly expand its business abroad through the creation of various distribution subsidiaries: Arpadis Deutschland Gmbh (Essen) in 2002 and Arpadis UK Ltd (Chester) in 2004.
It is the group’s policy to ensure that local management have a stake in the business. In some cases, it enters into joint ventures (this is the case in particular as regards Arpadis Deutschland Gmbh), or ensures that local management retains a minority shareholding (this is the case for Arpadis UK Ltd, in which the group has a stake of 72.5%).
In December 2003, the group underwent a reorganisation and decided to transfer the participating interests in the various distribution offices of the Arpadis Group to Arpadis Chemicals.
In December 2004, the group set up a joint venture with HBI International SAS (France) and HBI Trade Services Pvt Ltd (India) in order to create HBI China Ltd (Hong Kong), with a representative office in Nanjing. This 50% participating interest is under the control of Arpadis Asia Ltd, a holding company in which the group has a 65% interest.
Between November 2005 and April 2006, the group set up a joint venture with private investors in order to create Maskem Europe S.A. (Luxembourg), in which it currently holds an 80% stake. The purpose of this holding company is to centralise the majority shareholdings in various chemical product distribution entities in Africa and the Middle East; Maskem Maroc S.A. (60% interest), Maskem Algérie S.P.A. (60% interest), Maskem Egypt Ltd (60% interest), Maskem Gulf FZCO (60% interest), Maskem Middle East Ltd (60% interest). In each case, the minority shareholders are local managers. They are experienced executives having previously worked in international chemical companies.
At the beginning of 2006, the group created Arpadis China Co Ltd, wholly-owned by the Hong Kong holding company, Arpadis Asia Ltd. The latter is 65% owned by Arpadis Chemicals N.V. and 35% by the local manager of Arpadis China Co Ltd. This person has been working for the group for 8 years. Until the creation of Arpadis China Co Ltd., he managed the representative office of Arpadis Chemicals in Beijing, later Nanjing.
Alongside expansion of the distribution network, the group, in 2003 with the acquisition of Schoonjans SA (later Arpadis Coating Services SA, Jodoigne), began to diversify its activity in the industrial sector. Thanks to this acquisition, the group’s range of services, which were hitherto limited to commercial, logistical and financial services, were extended to custom processing. Schoonjans SA specialises in the custom processing of automotice coatings for the major European suppliers. The group’s industrial strategy continued with the acquisition of the SigmaKalon SA facility in Manage in March 2007. This acquisition enabled the group to develop and diversify into custom processing in the field of paints and resins and to develop a multiservice platform to the chemical industry in collaboration with its European subsidiaries.
The acquisition by Arpadis Custom Processing China Co. Ltd of land in China, in the Nanjing chemical industry zone, will enable the group to work with its customers in China and continue to develop in a region undergoing major industrial expansion.
In September 2006, a service activity for the polyurethane industry was launched with a team having a great deal of market experience. Arpadis Polyuréthanes SA specialises in the supply and sale of raw materials to this industry worldwide, with particular emphasis on high growth countries such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia.
In 2007, the group further expanded its distribution network, opening an office in Israel (Arpadis Israel Ltd). In addition, a new service company in the field of logistics, Polylink Logistics Ltd, based in Tianjin, was set up in China with a former group employee. This company specialises in logistics to and from China for the industry, offering its customers a special relationship.
In March 2007, the group expanded its business into Germany through the creation of Arpadis Chemicals Germany GmbH. Arpadis Chemicals owns 50% of this company, the remainder (2 x 25%) being shared between the local managers. The company specialises in the distribution of solvents and aromatics on the German market.
The decision to apply for listing on the Brussels Free Market was taken in February 2006. The group decided to reorganise its participating interests in advance of admission to trading in order to ensure the highest level of transparency. Accordingly, all the group’s real estate was placed under the control of Arpadis Immo SA, the distribution companies were placed under the control of Arpadis Chemicals SA and the industrial investments were placed under the control of Arpadis Custom Processing SA. The participating interests of these three main entities which were not yet part of the group, were incorporated by a contribution in kind on 17/09/2007.
Since 2004, the group has had an IT infrastructure management company, ArpaLine IT GmbH, located in Germany (Essen) 50% of which is owned directly by the group and 25% by Arpadis Deutschland Gmbh (indirect shareholding).
In october 2007 : Arpadis Custom Processing took over Catry SA in Gondecourt ( France) to enlarge its services. |
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