Main holdings sold
| companies | selling year | investment length | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRANÇAISE DE PALETTES | 1996-1998 | 4 years | 113% |
| FINON SOFECOME | 1999 | 3 years | 26% |
| CTN | 2005 | 11 years | 30% |
| SGCC | 2005 | 7 years | 16% |
| ECS | 2005 | 5 years | 32% |
Française de Palettes :
second (became first) French operator for recycling wooden pallets. Acquired in 1992 in a LBO together with the firm’s founder. The company made three external growth operations before being sold in two phases, in 1996 and 1998, to Sita (Suez Lyonnaise).
Finon-Sofecome :
acquired at the end of 1994, on the verge of bankruptcy After having recentered the company on after-sale logistics, and reinforced its new position as the French leader by acquiring its sole competitor, Qualis sold the Finon-Sofecome Group at the end of 1999 to UPS.
CTN :
supplier to the installers for trade shows and exhibitions, leader in France, Belgium, Poland and Great Britain, was acquired at the beginning of 1993 in a LBO . The success of the operations in France inspired the creation of Belgian, British and Spanish subsidiaries. The service offer of the CTN pole was completed by the acquisition of Bâches de France, firm specialized in turpaulins and nets. The CTN pole was sold in January 2005 to a fund managed by AtriA Capital.
SGCC
world leader of end-of-line control systems for glass containers, was acquired at the end of 1996 from Saint Gobain in a LBO. After the strengthening of a second line of products in its traditional business (Optic control with Alphacam and Deltacam) and the development of its global distribution network , the firm was sold in January 2005 to a fund managed by AtriA Capital.
ECS :
world leader GSSA (General Cargo Sales and Service Agent, activity which consists in representing the airlines on the airports for their freight activity). Qualis acquired this public company at the end of 1999. Qualis supported the creation of a global network through a series of acquitistions and creations: end of 1999, ECS had a foothold in 4 countries through 15 offices; end of 2004, the network was covering 20 countries through 57 offices. ECS was sold in January 2005 to a fund managed by Chequers Capital.