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 Sotralentz Industries doubles its turnover in four years |
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The group, which specialises in frameworks, boilermaking, and plastics for construction and civil engineering, has enjoyed renewed success, with growth in double figures in all its areas of activity.
Exclusively owned by the family from 1904 to 2008, Sotralentz’s capital has just been opened up to the managers of the group. Patrick Lentz, chairman of the board and long-time shareholder, has sold two thirds of the company to Karl Burkardt, chairman of the group, and Jacques Ducaruge, managing director. Sotralentz, based in Alsace, and with branches in Germany, Poland, Spain and Romania, is a major player in frameworks, boilermaking, and plastics for construction and civil engineering.
This is a welcome development for the team which has steered the Drulingen (Lower Rhine) enterprise to growth in double figures in all its areas of activity, from welded wire mesh to plastic septic tanks, from wooden weatherboarding to arch stones for tunnels.
A boom in drainage systems
At close to 400 million euros in 2007, turnover has doubled in four years. During the same period, the group of 1500 employees has recruited 200 young metalworkers on its sites in Alsace and Lorraine, whereas the decade had begun with a redundancy plan affecting 150 people.
Now, poor infrastructure constitutes the may impediment to growth: “The roads do not allow us to deliver crushers for cement works of over 170 t, even though we are able to manufacture devices of over 250 t”, sighs Jacques Ducaruge.
With an annual progression close to 20%, private drainage places Sotralentz in a leading position, thanks to highly fragmented competition. The enterprise makes use of a dozen researchers in its plastics department. “A series of new products will consolidate our positions after the summer break”, announces Jacques Ducaruge. Outside France, Spain and Poland constitute the favoured targets for this activity.
Welded wire mesh still in demand
Welded wire mesh, which represents more than half of turnover, has successfully made it through the steel crisis: “Unlike our customers, we are able to deal with the price rises without too much difficulty. Long-term agreements concluded with our suppliers have protected us from problems of shortages”, explains the managing director.
In this market, where independent manufacturers are competing with integrated steel producers, Sotralentz does not fear competition from the latter: free from the obligations in terms of volume which the major players in steel have to meet, the manufacturer can hit the accelerator or the brakes in line with changing economic conditions and thanks to the annualisation of working time.
Laurent Miguet
Managing Director Jacques Ducaruge: “Diversity is enriching.
The Lentz family now share capital ownership of Sotralentz with two managers, one of whom is you. Is this development a sign of further changes to come?
On the contrary, it has set in stone a stable arrangement in place since 2004, based around three complementary areas of expertise. As chairman of the supervisory board, Patrick Lentz is responsible for overseeing investment programmes. Daily management is conducted by Karl Burkardt and me.
What kind of economic model is used by an industrial enterprise as diverse as Sotralentz?
We naturally asked ourselves the same question during the crisis we went through at the beginning of the decade. We concluded that diversity minimises the risks associated with the cycles of each activity and constitutes a source of synergies and enrichment. Links between activities allow career plans to be proposed.
What are your reasons for committing yourself to a diversity charter with the national authority for combating discrimination?
To recruit the best, you need to favour diversity, particularly in a border region. This important issue is justified in a company with branches in several European countries, and which employs a number of Turkish workers in France. The charter also applies to disability and gender equality: a woman under 30 years old manages the 300 staff in our plastics department, and another woman of 26 has a position of key responsibility in our boilermaking section.
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