Bolloré

Bolloré S.A.
Public
Traded as Euronext: BOL
Industry Transport
Founded 1822
Headquarters Puteaux, France
Key people
 Vincent Bolloré (President & CEO)
Thierry Marraud (CFO)
Products Logistics, freight, paper, automobiles
Revenue € 10 billion (2012)
€ 174 million (2009)
€ 120 million (2009)
Number of employees
 33,000 (2009)
Parent Bolloré Investissements S.A (92.2%)
Website boc.com

Bolloré is a French investment and industrial holding group headquartered in Puteaux, on the western outskirts of Paris, France. The company, a paper-energy-plantations-logistics conglomerate, employs 28,000 people around the world.

In 2004, the group ranked amongst the top 200 European companies. Whilst the company is listed on the Euronext exchange in Paris, the Bolloré family retains majority control of the company through a complex and indirect holding structure.

The company is led by Vincent Bolloré.

History

The firm was founded in 1822, in Ergué-Gabéric, near Quimper, Brittany by Nicolas Le Marié (1797-1870), as a paper manufacturer named papeteries d'Odet. Beginning in 1863, it was directed by Jean-René Bolloré (1818–1881), a nephew by marriage who had obtained a medical doctorate in 1863.

The firm remained owned by the Bolloré family. Gwenn-Aël Bolloré was Vice-President of the Papeteries Bolloré from 1952 to 1974. In late 2004 the Bolloré group began taking an interest in the advertising sector, and started building a stake in Havas, becoming its single largest share-holder. In a boardroom coup Alain de Pouzilhac was deposed as President and CEO on July 12, 2005. The Bolloré stake in Havas stood at 26%, and the group had 3 seats on the Havas board as of June 2006. Vincent Bolloré's son Yannick Bolloré is now Havas' Chairman and CEO after the stepping down of its previous CEO in January 2014.

In 2005 Bolloré expanded its media interests by launching the television station Direct 8.

Towards the end of 2005, the firm began building a stake in the independent British media planning and buying group Aegis. As of 19 July 2006, this stake stands at 29%.[1] Bolloré's attempts to obtain board representation have so far been repelled.

From June 6, 2006 to December 22, 2010,[2] Bolloré launched a free evening newspaper Direct Soir. Lack of readers and advertising revenues made the group focus on its other free newspaper, "Direct Matin", launched in February 2007.[3]

On February 17, 2009, Bolloré held talks with Bolivian President Evo Morales about the use of its lithium reserves for electric vehicle batteries.[4]

Bolloré manufactures the Bolloré Bluecar, a small electric car, initially produce to showcase the company's range of electric power cells. The Bluecar was introduced in December 2011 as part of the Autolib' carsharing service in Paris.[5] Bluecar deliveries to retail customers began in March 2012.[6]

In 2014 Bollore increased its stake in Havas from 36 percent to around 83 percent through a public exchange offer of new Bollore shares for Havas stock. The company said at the time it would like to hold onto a stake well in excess of 50 percent. In March 2015, Bollore sold a 22.5 percent stake in the media group for a price of around €600 million. [7]

The next month, in April 2015, Bollore raised its stake in Vivendi from 10.2 percent to 12.01 percent at a total cost of €568 million.[8]

Operations

Bolloré Énergie

The Group's principal activities are as follows:

Electric vehicles

Velib

There are plans to integrate payment for the bike and car hire schemes with the ticketing systems for traditional modes of public transport. Two electric vehicle manufacturers are said to be in the frame to supply the cars: the Dassault Group and Bolloré. The former has a vehicle called the Cleanova, which employs the body of the Renault Kangoo van, while Bolloré’s Bluecar has been developed with Italian styling house Pininfarina and is due to go on sale commercially in 2009.[9]

Bolloré Bluecar charging at Autolib' Station on boulevard Diderot, Paris

Pininfarina B0

Pininfarina introduced its own electric vehicle concept, the Pininfarina B0 ("B Zero"). The four-seat hatchback features a solid-state lithium-polymer battery, supercapacitors, and a roof- integrated solar panel to achieve a range of 153 miles. Developed in partnership with the Bolloré Group, the vehicle was slated for limited production in 2009.[10][11]

Bluecar

Bolloré manufactures the Bolloré Bluecar, a small electric car, initially produce to showcase the company's range of electric power cells. The Bluecar was introduced in December 2011, as part of the Autolib' carsharing service in Paris.[5] Bluecar deliveries to retail customers began in March 2012.[6] Bolloré's Bluecar will also be used in the London Autolib scheme in 2015.[12]

Bluebus

Bolloré Bluebus has capacity for 22 passengers. Two copies of this electric vehicle transportation arrived mid-April 2015 to Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Aegis' Major Shareholders". Hemscott Group Ltd. 2006-07-19.
  2. ↑ "La pub a progressé de 4,4 % dans la presse en 2011". lefigaro.fr.
  3. ↑ "Dossier presse gratuite". strategies.fr.
  4. ↑ "RFI - Be partners not predators, Morales warns French firms on Paris visit". Rfi.fr. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  5. 1 2 Richard Lord (2011-12-05). "Autolib’ electric car sharing service launches in Paris, France". Sustainable Guernsey. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  6. 1 2 Michaël Torregrossa (2012-03-07). "Bolloré Bluecar – 1000 immatriculations pour Autolib’ et début des livraisons pour les particuliers" [Bolloré Bluecar– 1000 cars registered for Autolib’ and deliveries for individuals begin] (in French). AVEM. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
  7. ↑ "Bollore sells 22.5 percent Havas stake for $662 million" (Press release). Reuters. 26 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Bollore raises Vivendi stake again as AGM battle looms" (Press release). Reuters. 2 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Move Over Velib, Autolib Is On Its Way". BikeRadar. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  10. ↑ "EERE News: EERE Network News". Apps1.eere.energy.gov. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  11. ↑ Archived October 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Holloway, Hilton (12 December 2014). "Electric rental car scheme to land in London next year". Autocar. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Deux Bluebus débarquent à Mulhouse

External links

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