The Activities Interview with Henri BISCARRAT
What were the main challenges ORAPI faced in 2012?
In 2012, we worked on three primary challenges: growth, perfecting our processes and improving our profitability.
Development and growth are at the heart of our strategy. First of all, the acquisition of ARGOS allowed us to grow and position ourselves as a leader in commercial cleaning in France with pro forma net sales of 200 million euros. But our growth is also the result of innovations implemented in partnership with our clients and our R&D laboratories.
The improvement of our processes is also a key component that sets us apart and makes us competitive. Economy of scale means we can invest in new industrial, logistic or IT tools. We also invested in the recruitment of high potential individuals in all areas of the company.
Finally, improving our profitability is one of our most important goals because today's profits finance tomorrow's investments, such as tripling the capacity of our Singapore factory.
The ambitious cost-cutting plan launched at the end of 2011 allowed us to face the crisis with confidence and continue with all of our plans for growth.
So far, it seems that we will see unfavourable economic conditions in 2013. What does that mean for ORAPI?
The ORAPI Group is ready to weather the crisis because we operate in a market with a high level of repeat business both for industrial maintenance and for commercial cleaning. Our net sales are spread over a large number of key clients who are very different from each other both in terms of field of activity and in terms of location. These factors limit our risk.
We are counting on the rising significance of Argos Hygiène in 2013, now that the principal integration stages have already been completed. We are going to bring into play the expected industrial and commercial synergies. Finally, we haven't lost sight of our goals of profitable growth. For this reason, we have launched a new cost-cutting plan to increase our competitiveness.
We are cautiously optimistic for 2013 because we have many different projects at all levels of the company, and we expect them to bear fruit. On this point, the various experiences described in the rest of this document show our teams’ energy and their ability to help the company evolve in its environment.
Finally, what growth areas will ORAPI focus on?
Our strategy is to focus our development on offering clients products with higher added value. This means more technical products, combining services or consulting with the sale of our products, and following our clients as they expand internationally. Today more than ever, ORAPI is in a position to be able to offer its clients complex products that few other companies can supply. Finally, international expansion is an investment in the future with very high potential for development. Our new facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Nigeria are a case in point.
Henri Biscarrat
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR
