FRANCE – The era of the family business is now definitely over for Cesbron, a company with a €96 million turnover and 730 employees in 60 branches all over France. On 18th March, Dalkia completed the total acquisition of the company which had been owned by the Cesbron family for 104 years. On the 24th March, during a first press conference at the company’s headquarters in Saint Sylvain d’Anjou, François Vasse, the new president of Cesbron was presented to journalists. Vasse seized this opportunity to discuss the future of the company –touching on many points including unveiling a new logo for Cesbron, underlining its integration within Dalkia and the French national electrical utility, EDF. The stated common goal is to entice customers by proposing an additional commercial offer which provides the customer with the ability to optimize their hot/cold air flow. “As a specialist in industrial and commercial refrigeration and HVAC” Cesbron in these areas will “capitalize on the expertise of Dalkia to offer energy performance guarantees,” said his aide Jean-Pierre Merle, General Manager, who has worked at Cesbron for 16 years.
The synergy generated by the takeover should also allow Cesbron to strengthen its industrial refrigeration supply and to increase its profile in the public service delegations and health sector. Cesbron have also stated their desire to strengthen their position in consulting and design, targeting improved energy efficiency without assuming control board status. The company, which has 60 branches, mainly located in the West of France, also intends to grow and extend its market share by opening new entities across the territory, mainly in the North, Paris and Lyon, where Dalkia is already well established. Other buyouts will also be studied case by case. One of the first acts after the takeover for Cesbron will be to reinvest in the maintenance of professional kitchens which was discontinued following the sale of this activity to Quietalis in 2008.
Another area for development will be research and innovation with which Cesbron has already shown an aptitude for, notably through Ecolab, a simulator of climates, and more recently Froiloc. Showcased at the last CFIA tradeshow in Rennes, this “ultra-clean” localized cooling system for food should generate swift interest from other sectors.
What seems certain is that after a 104 year family history, Cesbron is now ready to turn over a new page in its history after its takeover by Dalkia and will face new challenges and opportunities.