The recipes of champions at the international

Drugs high-tech, equipment... The business traffic that dare to export and compete in global markets, reveal their strategy.

"Canvass in a country unknown to can arouse some apprehension, but this is not justified. It is necessary to go there : it works ! " said Adeline Lescanne-Gautier. The young leader of Nutriset, a company founded by Michel Lescanne, his father, in 1986, knows what she is talking about : his company has become the leader in the treatment and prevention of malnutrition in achieving 100 % of its activity in the countries of the South, including Chad, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Ethiopia. The keys to this success ? "Produce locally in order to facilitate the procurement ; constantly innovate and make it work for agri-food industries of the countries where we operate", she summarizes. Adeline Lescanne-Gautier also points to the importance of being on-site and be helped by networking - Business France, diplomatic missions, French expatriates, VIE (international corporate volunteer... )

>> also read: RANKING. The 100 SMES and ETI French champions at the international

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Well know the local culture is essential

" can't export without knowing the local culture. We must remain humble in order to understand it, " she continues. The most difficult is the supply of raw materials which meets international standards, which lack local service providers. "Not to mention the security problems in some countries such as Niger, are more important than five years ago. "The prevention of malnutrition is a market in full development. It is a major challenge to the financial impact explosive on the GDP of these countries." Several of the firms classified in our list have chosen to invest in Africa. "This is the core business of Triple Pharma," confirms Gérard Baylé, that exports of medicines to destination wholesalers the past 29 years. The president of this company, based in Toulouse, is confident : "With a GDP that is growing at over 5% per year, a population expected to double by 2050, everything remains to be done. "It is a continent" not so complicated that this when one knows it well, he adds, not more difficult than China or the arab countries ! "With, he says, a return on investment fast enough" even if secure payment is quite sporting ".

His advice ? "It must be everywhere, and do not bet on a one shot. Out of the 21 French-speaking countries, there are 8 or 10, not to miss under no pretext. Compared to the competition from china and india, our advantage is to have the same language, an administrative system similar to the CFA franc. "Triple Pharma now has 18 offices in 21 countries in Africa and 350 employees on site, the majority of Africans.

"Our success is due to painstaking work," says Olivier Monin. The group, which he chairs, was founded in 1912 by Georges Monin in Bourges, exports of syrups, sauces and concentrates for professionals since 1945. "The first ten years have been difficult. At the time, the syrups were products, very French in a market dominated by spirits. Bar after bar, in country after country, it has convinced the networks to use our products for their cocktails.

today, Monin subsidiaries in 145 countries and has launched a factory in Florida in 1996 and another in Malaysia in 2009. The board of Oliver Monin : "It takes guts to be flexible to sell what people will like and not what you want to sell. And enjoy the good image of the agri-food French. "

Nutriset, a leader in the treatment of malnutrition, led by Adeline Lescanne-Gautier, operates 100% in the countries of the South.

Dahmane for Expansion

The high-end, high value-added

"The made in France is still a strong value, especially for craft activities and traditions, such as weaving," explains Aris Arakelian, head of sales for China and Australia, the company Malhia Kent. This manufacturer of tweed and jacquard top-of - the-line Armani and Versace are part of his client - taken over in 1997 by Evelyn Corrigan, realizes 63 % of its sales abroad. "We design high value-added products very popular in Japan and the United States, where we are 13 % of our revenue. "The creativity that bears fruit : Malhia Kent shows a growth of 180 % since 2010 and is a pretty cost-effectiveness of 13 %. The label in France is important also for Lectra, the leader of hardware and software, cad / CAM (design and manufacturing computer-aided textiles, and composite materials), born in 1973, which seeks 250 million euros of sales in 2015. While its competitors délocalisaient in China, the group has chosen to maintain since 2005, its site of R&D and production in Cestas, near Bordeaux, "so as not to touch the DNA of the company," says its CEO, Daniel Harari, who adds, however : "Lectra does not export to itself, because France is perceived as a market among the other. "And claim the results of the reengineering of its group allied to a strategy of R&D supported, the increase in range and a choice of direct sales on the spot :" You must go on the field to understand the economic issues of each country, "says Daniel Harari, convinced that the key to international expansion is"to accept and do accept differences ". A way of being in the world for this company that achieves 92 % of its activitiestee international with 1 500 employees - more than 50 different nationalities - and 32 subsidiaries are present in over 100 countries.

Bright technology French ! Stop the defeatism and lack of confidence : it is obvious, the French companies do not export enough. But when they engage, they make a place among the world leaders in their market. Such Lectra, or Hologram Industries, a creator of security holograms, a technology that is unique in France, of which the only competitor is German. The company founded by Hugues Souparis in 1982, is used to authenticate the identity documents, bank notes, products and brands. It has to client, administrations, States, banks, and earns 80 % of its turnover internationally. "A real niche market," confirms Thomas Do Quang Son, the chief financial officer of the Hologram, which is present in 100 countries, including a subsidiary in Connecticut, in the United States, and which has doubled its turnover in four years.

A leader born of a fusion of franco-German

Among these companies on the front lines, we could also mention the manufacturer of printers for plastic cards Evolis, Virbac and its products, veterinarians, robots for presses, plastic injection Sepro Group (400 people from 16 different nationalities), or Gimaex, the number three global manufacturers of fire trucks and vehicles road safety. "The hardest thing is the language barrier : you can not imagine the difficulty of translating a safety manual of 200 pages in wolof ", explains Grégory Put, marketing director and son of the CEO of Gimaex, Philippe Put. And recall the story of the group, île-de-france resulting from the merger in 2002 of the two leaders of the fire truck French Gicar and Bimaex for - already ! - deal with the German competition.

" Our international development is born of the association in 2005 with the German Schmidt Fire and Rescue." Since then, Gimaex achieves 62.5% of its export sales. As what success may also pass through the union with its competitors beyond the Rhine.

"In Africa, our advantage over the competition from china and india is to have the same language, an administrative system similar to the CFA franc." Gerard Baylé, president of Triple Pharma.

"You can not imagine the difficulty of translating a safety manual of 200 pages in wolof." Gregory Put, marketing director of Gimaex.

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