The transparent mask revolution

Ultra-comfortable, ultra-filtered and entirely transparent: this is what Lainière SantéTM’s inclusive, premium-range mask promises.

The transparent and reusable masks feature a washable, anti-fog and anti-projection “window”, made with Lainière SantéTM technical composites. Their design is crafted by thermobonding interlining techniques, the first of its kind on the market.

Interlining is a technique that coats the fabric used for the mask’s hem, which is essential for both hold and structure. It is the only technical fabric used to make this mask. Thermobonding is generally used on the fabric between the mask’s lining and its exterior layer. A trailblazer in the textile industry, Chargeurs makes innovation the central focus of its growth strategy. The Group owes its reputation to its expertise in developing cutting-edge products. Whether it’s textured polyester, 40-gauge interlining fabrics ideally suited to the very light satin and voile garments that are currently on trend, or more recently, its eco-friendly Sustainable Fifty interlinings, all have been huge hits!

By applying thermobonding to the transparent part of the mask, Chargeurs’ inclusive masks are a step forward in ensuring both comfort and protection. They replace stitching at the connecting area between the transparent strip and the fabric, which makes the masks completely waterproof. Lightness and ease of use were a top priority for the Group’s designers.

The Lainière SantéTM inclusive masks make everyday living easier for people who are Deaf or hearing impaired, as well as for professionals whose work depends on clear verbal communication, such speech therapists and teachers. They are also for anyone who would like to clearly see facial expressions again, so as not to lose any of the subtleties or nuances of verbal communication. This Lainière SantéTM innovation reflects Chargeurs’ conviction to deliver a unique customer experience, as well as to improve consumers’ everyday lives by leveraging the Group’s industrial excellence.

Angèle Malâtre-Lasanc’s point of view : Our patients drive innovation

Angèle Malâtre-Lansac is the Associate Director Healthcare Policy at Institut Montaigne. Her policy aims at bringing together all healthcare stakeholders, including professionals, patients, industrial groups, researchers, experts, senior officials, policymakers and care providers. Its ultimate goal is to review, plan, benchmark and make recommendations with a view to shaking the status quo within the French healthcare system by drawing inspiration from best practices observed in France and abroad.

“Covid-19 has highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of our health systems. In all OECD countries, the increase in chronic illnesses, as well as an ageing population and technological developments, challenge the sustainability of our current systems. Healthcare spending continues to rise (17% of GDP in the United States, 12% in France), but patient value-based healthcare does not seem to be keeping pace: medical deserts are on the rise, innovation is growing scarier, healthcare is not adequately personalized, and preventive measures are few and far between. If spending is increasing with little or no added value, it is because spending is not well-oriented. Furthermore, we are not properly incentivizing healthcare stakeholders. Studies show that nearly 30% of healthcare spending is ineffective or even harmful, while the majority of patients still have only limited access to the latest medical innovations.

The key issue is: how do we undergo a paradigm shift to ensure our healthcare systems provide incentives to develop value-based healthcare and avoid needless initiatives and inefficiency? As we face this unprecedented health crisis, now more than ever, we must focus our efforts and spending on quality healthcare and innovation. We must stop paying stakeholders based on quantity. Quality, and thus performance, must come first.

The good news is that we now have accurate data to assess healthcare stakeholder value creation. In addition, by developing artificial intelligence, we now have the resources to interpret this data. Value-based healthcare is enabled by directly collecting real-life patient data. For instance, after surgery, have you ever been asked if everything went as you expected? If you were happy with your quality of life? How this “experience” affected you? This data is what we call Patient Reported Outcomes (PROMs) and Patient Reported Experiences (PREMs). They feed the core of healthcare and innovation quality assessment. They also offer a benchmark to verify that each healthcare stakeholder creates value for patients.

Health data, whether clinical, genomic, from connected objects, mobile applications, PROMs or PREMs, must be the top priority of health system management. This data will enable us to incentivize higher-quality stakeholders. It will also produce a more agile assessment of innovation, foster stakeholder collaboration and provide patients with the required information to make informed healthcare decisions based on their unique needs and preferences.

It is crucial to put patients at the forefront of our healthcare system!”

Reading suggestion: The Passion Economy by Adam Davidson

Adam Davidson is an American journalist focusing on business and economics. He writes for The New Yorker, The New York Times and is the co-host of Planet Money, a co-production between NPR News and This American Life. 

In The Passion Economy, the talented storyteller Adam Davidson focuses on the transformative relationship between employees and their jobs in the 21st century. While the previous century’s economy was defined by a “mass economy”, which required strict conformity, Adam Davidson advocates for a “passion economy” that reflects this new era in which profit and passion are inextricably linked. In particular, he examines the case of small and medium businesses whose survival depends on a well-founded growth strategy. Those companies must adapt to new business models, which are formed around individuals and their passions.

There are eight ground rules of the passion economy:

–          Rule #1: Pursue intimacy at scale

–          Rule #2: Only create value that can’t be easily copied

–          Rule #3: The price you charge should match the value you provide

–          Rule #4: Fewer passionate customers are better than a lot of indifferent ones

–          Rule #5: Passion is a story

–          Rule #6: Technology should always support your business, not drive it

–          Rule #7: Know what business you’re in. And it’s probably not what you think

–          Rule #8: Never be in the commodity business, even if you sell what other people consider a commodity

The book is wholly inspiring, and will help you think differently about management. It highlights the concepts of intimacy and personal expression, which had been cast aside by the mass economy. 

Our employees: committed to innovation

Silver thread: Innovation & Design for progress”, Thomas Becker, Senior Director Innovation & Design at Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies

“Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies is a world leader in silver thread expertise. Silver-based fibers and yarns are especially unique in terms of the benefits they provide to textile products. These revolutionary materials offer an expansive array of biomedical attributes to help keep our lives healthy, repair injury, improve performance, and can help preserve and make the planet a greener ecosystem.

For example, silver yarns, when applied in different ratios of knitted or woven material, can kill bacteria and fungi on contact. This reduces the risk of transmission of certain infections and diseases. By reducing the amount of bacteria and fungi from the surface of apparel, bedding, footwear, drapery and home decor material for example – the amount of residual odors is also negated. This helps prolong consumer product use and lowers the carbon footprint left behind from washing or dry-cleaning cycles. Additionally, this type of yarn reduces the amount of dye stuff needed in the production process to achieve the desired colorways designers choose. Less dye stuff dramatically improves the sustainability ring within the fashion industries.

In summary, introducing, designing, designing and bring to the market products that utilize silver-based textiles have been a milestone in the fashion, industrial, and commercial industries. The advancements have helped sustain not only the human body but the earth.”

“Using the antimicrobial film as a barrier against germs and bacteria”, Jean-Loup Masson, Innovation, Marketing and Digital Director at Novacel

“Stopping all surface-contact contamination—this was the challenge that Novacel, a Chargeurs group subsidiary, decided to take on by developing temporary antimicrobial adhesive film in its R&D lab using silver ions. The ions are stored in the film and/or adhesive and disrupt the cellular functions of bacterial proteins. This mechanism helps to prevent the spread of a wide range of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and other germs.

An independent bacteriology lab confirmed the efficacy of CleanTouch films, observing 99.99% bacteria elimination. Thanks to the films’ powerful, quick-acting and consistent antibacterial mechanism, they are simple, reusable and sustainable option that meets urgent health and hygiene needs.

CleanTouch films can be used in all places with strict sanitary protocol, such as restaurants, recreational spaces, retailers, companies, communal living spaces, hospitals, or even in the agri-food industry. Novacel’s teams are also in the process of fine-tuning this technology, with the goal of adapting it to larger-scale protective uses beyond microbial films. When the technology works, the key is knowing how to innovate without sacrificing its simplicity!”

Innovation: Our amazing stories

Lainière SantéTM X Maje: style and safety at all times

Safety and style unite: Lainière SantéTM and Maje have joined forces to create barrier masks, which not only meet the performance specifications set by AFNOR (French association for standardization) and ANSM (French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety), but also add a touch of fanciful elegance. The fashion brand’s designers made three exclusive prints for Lainière SantéTM. The idea was to produce a look that could be stylishly tailored to each and every individual.

As masks are now required almost everywhere, Chargeurs’ research teams have developed protective masks using ultra-comfortable, ultra-filtered and ultra-breathable fabric. With three protective layers, the masks can be washed up to 20 times thanks to their antibacterial and water-repellent treatment.

Available online at www.lainiere-sante.com, masks can now be much more than just protective. Lainière SantéTM X Maje are now a must-have fashion statement. Once you try it on, you’ll never want to take it off!

In a show of commitment and solidarity, Chargeurs donates personal protective equipment

After quickly streamlining production lines, Chargeurs has decided to donate more than 10,000 liters of hand sanitizer, as well as masks and lab coats, to healthcare workers. The Group has also provided health products to vulnerable nursing home residents, as well as the Emmaüs France association, the Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants humanitarian organization, the Apprentis d’Auteuil foundation, the Orphépolis institution and many more. The donations serve as a reminder of the vital role played by companies in addressing the health crisis. Moreover, they are a testimonials to the Group’s commitment and solidarity towards citizens who are most at risk.

This advocacy is a key component of Chargeurs’ corporate identity. In the midst of the crisis, Chargeurs has also taken the initiative to invest €10 million in an effort to guarantee the independence of its main locations (France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland) from a health standpoint. Through its investments and its employees’ unwavering commitment, the Group has successfully strengthened its locations’ health sovereignty, an issue that has now become strategic.

Our vision of Innovation

Joëlle Fabre-Hoffmeister, Group General Secretary, shares her vision of innovation at Chargeurs: 

“The cult of innovation is so strong in our society today that no one would dare utter a word against it. Yet, like for many buzzwords, we would benefit from examining it in more detail: what exactly do we mean by “innovation”? What does it mean to “innovate”? The word stems from the Latin novare (“to change, make new”), preceded by the prefix in-, which indicates inward movement. There is nothing technical about this definition. It does, however, pave the way to new approaches to dissecting commonplace notions. For most of us, though, innovation goes hand in hand with scientific research, artificial intelligence and technical advances.

The reality is that innovation affects all aspects of life, and especially the workplace. It calls on us to think “outside the box” to design the next steps to take. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it for each and every one of us. Now is the time for us to capitalize on the new normal in our everyday activities. Some books perfectly illustrate this new approach. Among my most recent discoveries, I would recommend The Passion Economy by Adam Davidson. It showcases the success stories of entrepreneurs who radically have changed career and life plans, and who have dared to take a different approach from their first few years in the workforce. Their secret? Pursuing their passions; doing what they do best and working at it to create as much added value as possible. Getting to the very essence of who they are by challenging the status quo. Davidson offers an inspiring testimony, and one we could use to reevaluate our longstanding managerial models. What if we gave our employees the opportunity to truly drive change? Rather than presenting them with an inevitable responsibility to shoulder, could we show them the door to the future, where their role is pivotal? Perhaps managerial innovation is the next workplace revolution. It must be strongly encouraged as we seek to help ease our organizations and unleash creativity, a rich source of innovation.”

 

Lainière Santé™: Our vision

Denis Noharet, President of Lainière Santé™, has shared with us the inception and success of Lainière Santé™. With its fast growth, Lainière Santé™ has thrown out the traditional entrepreneurship rulebook. In only a few days, Chargeurs was able to reorganize its core business activities to meet urgent health needs. This shift marks a new chapter in the Group’s history.

Denis Noharet, President of Lainière Santé™: 

“In the thick of the Covid-19 crisis and under the leadership of Michaël Fribourg, the Chargeurs Fashion Technologies division’s R&D teams specialized in interlining started developing technical particle filtering textile composites. This solution effectively protects mask wearers from getting infected by the virus. Starting with tests at 60-65% filtration (particles larger than 3 µm), we achieved more than 99% filtration. (Tests conducted by the French defense procurement agency’s lab). Our network of manufacturers in Europe have used these fabrics to make masks, producing several million units.

Sourcing teams in Europe and Asia felt the same impetus and stepped up their efforts and commitment. In doing so, they selected, labeled and imported many millions of disposable masks (surgical and FFP2) for our public sector customers as well as large private corporations.

Responding to the global demand for high quality products for sustainable needs, the Group has set up automatic mask machines on-site in our Péronne manufacturing firm in Northern France, home of the historic Lainière de Picardie factory, and in the Sélestat municipality in Northeastern France, where Senfa is located. These production lines can manufacture several million surgical and FFP2 masks per year. Chargeurs will also implement the same production setup in the United States in order to expand its reach in the American market. We decided to set up capacities in Switzerland.

Our industry-wide success is what drives us. This is why our teams are currently working towards creating tailored offers for each segment of the market (B2C, the healthcare sector, the construction sector, sports organizations, etc.). Our offers include a wide range of products (masks, protective gowns, gloves, hand sanitizer, etc.) coupled with a complete range of premium services (traceability, stock categorization and management, and much more). For instance, Novacel has developed its Novacel Health product range, including hand sanitizer, antimicrobial film preventing infection from contact with surfaces; sanitary gates mean to disinfect visitors entering public spaces, and lastly, touchless hand sanitizer stations.

These initiatives, which the Group has rolled out seamlessly over the past few weeks, reflect our entrepreneurial DNA. Thanks to our investments and the efforts we’ve made to modernize our production lines, we now stand ready to face a potential second wave of the pandemic. Our partners and customers can count on us

Lainière Santé™: Amazing stories

In this month’s edition of the newsletter, read two stories about the milestones the Group achieved during lockdown that were essential to fighting Covid-19:

  • Lainière Santé™: a successful start!
  • French President Emmanuel Macron commends Chargeurs for its efforts during the health crisis.

The Group’s teams worked night and day to address urgent health needs. Our teams pushed themselves beyond their limits to develop cutting-edge technology products, ensuring the protection of our many stakeholders.

Lainière Santé™: a successful start!

Chargeurs’ masks couldn’t have wished for better ambassador to support their initiative! At its Le Bourget site, Dassault Falcon Service (DFS) temporarily converted one of its legendary Falcon 900B aircrafts to transport protective masks, specifically Lainière Santé™ brand masks. In this time of urgent need, this jet line provides a faster and more adaptable service compared to commercial air and land transportation. This is proven by over 50 flight hours in just 15 days to ship millions of Chargeurs masks.

Through its partnerships with industry giants in France, whether with Bolloré in logistics and transport or Dassault in air transportation, Chargeurs has once again shown the strength of its business model.

French President Emmanuel Macron commends Chargeurs for its efforts during the health crisis

Chargeurs has also received accolades from the French President: In a televised speech on March 31, 2020, Mr. Macron thanked Chargeurs for its unprecedented production efforts in the fight against Covid-19. The Group was one of the first to respond to the urgent health crisis, and rapidly rolled out widescale production.

The Group was praised for its agility and its ability to play a pivotal role in supporting public and health authorities. To safeguard citizens’ health, products were delivered to major public institutions and local authorities. The recognition from the French government is a testament to the tireless work of Chargeurs employees. They are vey proud to have contributed to the nationwide effort.

Lainière Santé™: Our employees committed to the cause

The courage and selflessness of Chargeurs employees allowed the Group to quickly produce protective masks and hand sanitizer, the first line of defense against the coronavirus. Teams from various businesses around the globe pulled together to create effective action plans.

We’re taking a closer look at the stories of our frontline operations staff during this crisis. Their commitment helped Chargeurs to become a corporate citizen: 

Christophe Ricaux, Supply Chain Manager at Chargeurs Fashion Technologies: 

“Lainière Santé™ is the product of highly effective collaboration across the Group’s various subsidiaries. Each and every subsidiary played their part; whether it was receiving masks, quality control, packaging, or preparing orders. 

I manage the daily activities of our dedicated Masks business teams and oversee administrative reporting (inventories, billing, etc.). I am in constant contact with sales and transportation staff, which is essential to meet deadlines for shipping and express delivery across France. My personal commitment to the Chargeurs Group since 1998 has helped me stay fully operational and fully committed to face this extraordinary health crisis.”

Julie Fouilland, Marketing Manager at Senfa and in charge of Lainière Santé™’s social media:

“Initially, we needed to shut down all activity. While in lockdown, but still connected, we drafted weekly newsletters for employees and our customers. Our goal was to keep lines of communication open.

We also needed to be able to react very quickly. Leveraging robust in-house synergies, Lainière Santé™ developed a mask offer that was the first of its kind. Our mission was to support products on the market while factoring in end products, BtoC and e-commerce. From product creation to packaging and managing activity on our social networks, to creating tailored offers for key accounts, our polyvalent team was the key to staying competitive.

Then, we needed to diversify. By harnessing our synergies, we began to produce personal protective equipment, thereby transforming Lainière Santé™ into a supplier of fully-integrated solutions.”

Daphnée Newland, Financial Controller at Lainière de Picardie: 

“To respond to substantial sales flows, the Financial Controlling team had to adapt quickly by redesigning flows within the Group. This involved duplicating systems and reorganizing teams. During that time, the plant had to urgently produce industrial composites. In terms of management control, this meant increased reporting on inventory and our working capital requirements, creating supplier records, etc.

During the first few weeks, our biggest challenge was to collect information to facilitate our operations staff’s daily activities. The goal was for Finance to provide invisible but nonetheless impactful support, to monitor customer contracts and to pay our suppliers on time. It would have been an impossible task without our team’s full commitment!”

Michèle Naulot-Besson, Director of Business Development at Chargeurs Protective Films:

“Our agile methods, which include closely monitoring and anticipating market needs, thinking outside the box and beyond our core business scope, and a streamlined decision-making process, allowed us to create four cutting-edge products in under a month: hand sanitizer, antimicrobial film, sanitary gates and hand sanitizer stations.

At the height of the fight against Covid-19, CPF Business Development implemented effective operating strategies to find new business partners, negotiate and sell health products, which addressed material shortages. It was essential to act fast to avoid widespread infection.”

How did Lainière Santé™ become the partner of choice through innovation?

“Impossible” isn’t part of the French vocabulary? The original expression, “le mot impossible n’est pas français”, attributed to France’s most renowned soldier, Napoleon Bonaparte, strikes a special chord at this moment in time. It is a firmly-rooted value in Chargeurs’ corporate culture: our ambition to push the boundaries of its businesses is the secret to the Group’s success. The creation of Lainière Santé™ is definitive proof of this. To understand the recipe of our success, we will provide you with the necessary ingredients: a dash of audacity, innovation, logistics expertise and dedication. All these qualities have helped Chargeurs to stand out from its competitors.

BOLD ACTION

The recipe for our success story starts with a long-term strategy initially implemented in 2015, which strives to make the Group a world leader in niche markets. Consistent with its strategy, and while facing the widespread scale of the pandemic, the Group reoriented its manufacturing facility towards mass production of protective masks and hand sanitizer. Chargeurs’ agile model was fully operational from the very first hours of the pandemic. Leveraging advanced expertise in technical fabrics and materials chemistry, research labs came rescue for health authorities. In a bold move, the Group created Lainière Santé™ in no time. The brand shaped the core of Chargeurs’ health offer.

INNOVATION

Lainière Santé™’s offer harnesses innovation, our second key ingredient. Technology is the main growth driver for the Group, which relies on the excellence of its 16 research labs around the world. More specifically, protective masks that use nanomembrane filtration technologies with antibacterial and water-repellent treatment are a real innovation driver. These masks meet AFNOR (French association for standardization) specifications, and have been designed for the wearers’ comfort. In this respect, they are OEKO-TEX 1® certified, which guarantees total comfort when worn on the face.

LOGISTICS EXPERTISE

A foolproof supply chain was vital to developing our Lainière Santé™ offer. We had to reshape all of our processes; from procurement to shipping, to ensure product delivery, business continuity and recovery. We have established partnerships with the largest logistics operators and honed agile production methods. These operating methods have allowed us to produce to match demand, and we pride ourselves on processing our orders in time.

DEDICATION

The various ingredients in our recipe wouldn’t have reached their fullest potential without the unwavering commitment of our research team, our managers and their teams, and our sales staff. Our teams have worked day and night. The outcome: Lainière Santé™ has quickly become a key player in the health protection market.

Lainière Santé™: An expert’s point of view

 

Denise Silber, the founder of Doctors 2.0 and VRforHealth.com, is a digital health strategist, author, conference curator and a thought leader on social networks in France and internationally. Her main fields of interest are digital health, patient engagement, virtual reality in medicine, premium healthcare, and social justice. Denise Silber received the Legion of Honor and was named on the list of the “Inspiring Fifty” Women in Tech in France for her groundbreaking work. Denise has an MBA from Harvard and co-edits a podcast series for the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, a global organization. She is also Vice-President of the Harvard Club of France.

 

Covid-19 Changes the Face of Healthcare Innovation

“Digital health is a young and vibrant field. So most people do not realize that it is only the current term for an idea that traces back over fifty years and has always faced resistance to change. In the 1960’s, when computers were huge and rare, a few healthcare professionals realized that structured data was indispensable to the patient care and proposed the Electronic Medical Record; the EMR has remained problematic ever since. Next, progress in telecommunication led to telemedicine but was restricted to exceptional situations. The Dotcom boom saw the birth of eHealth but few successes. Smartphones led to mHealth but few apps were widely used. Multiple new medical sensors have fueled Connected Health over the past ten years, but simple step counters and watches represent the majority of use. Big Data generated by objects and patient records has given Artificial Intelligence a huge sandbox in which to play, but we are still feeling our way forward.  

Every January, the headlines predict that “this” will be the year of digital health, but it never has been. In fact, only healthcare social media has reached scale.  Despite the billions of dollars invested in digital health, fewer of its health start-ups reach unicorn status than in other industries. While some health systems have integrated some of these innovations, none can claim it takes full advantage of digital’s potential. The incentive to disrupt has never been sufficient. 

Fascinatingly, the arrival of a microscopic virus called Covid-19 has created the inflection point that business, government, professionals and citizens could not. With the disruption of life as we know it, several stars have emerged in the digital health universe.  

During the prolonged period in which person-to-person contact brings a risk of infection and in which speed saves lives:

  • Teleconsultation has become the preferred channel of patient-professional interaction. 
  • Chatbots and apps have been deployed to millions to accelerate self-diagnosis of the virus and for mental health support. Virtual Reality has gained in importance, for both mindfulness and relaxation as well as its therapeutic properties.
  • Hospital robots have been adapted to deliver food, to take temperatures, to facilitate communication, and to disinfect, while keeping professionals at a distance from harm.
  • 3D printing in hospitals has produced thousands of visors, handleless door knobs, valves for respirators. 
  • Artificial Intelligence has been unleashed on: 
    • genetic data to better understand who is at risk, 
    • medicinal databases to identify existing molecules to repurpose for Covid, 
    • location data for contact tracing. 

At the same time, while we are used to navigating a global world in which digital innovations evolve and flourish internationally, Covid-19 has led to a regain in the importance of national sovereignty. In a situation of scarcity of life-saving resources, citizens expect their leaders to ensure access to the Covid-19 vaccine, to all medicines, to innovative materials and devices, and to proper healthcare.

In short, in just a few months, many fundamentals of healthcare operations have shifted. And yet the guiding principle remains: the right to healthcare is inalienable. 2020 and beyond represents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for healthcare industries”.

Suggested reading: Bezonomics by Brian Dumaine

In an essay published in the United States in mid-May 2020, Brian Dumaine, an American journalist formerly at Fortune, dissects the business model of Amazon, the ubiquitous e-commerce giant. Dumaine immerses us in the impressive mechanics of Amazon, which has become a logistical powerhouse that continues to integrate new activities, including health, which was added two years ago. What lessons can companies learn? This fascinating investigative account explores exactly that. 

 

Successful conclusion of the acquisition of the American D&P Incorporated

Chargeurs announces the successful closing, ahead of schedule, of the acquisition of the American leader D&P Incorporated within Chargeurs Museum Solutions, new world champion of museum services.

  • The acquisition of D&P fostersthe creation of a world champion of museum services, a new luxury market with high growth potential and value-added experience;
  • D&P, America’s largest integrated solutions platform for museums, set to generate full-year revenues of more than $45 million in 2020, with an operating margin of more than 10%.
  • The Barnwell family will continue to manage the company’s day to day operations with a robust and innovative team;
  • Chargeurs integrates a unique portfolio of achievements and a signed order book worth approximately $50 million, over one year of revenue;
  • As of today, regarding Covid-19, the Group observes a limited impact on its level of sales.

Download the press release

2019 annual revenue up +9.2 % excellent prospects for 2020

In 2019 Chargeurs speeded up its transformation process and pursued its premiumization strategy

Sustained activity in 2019 – a vintage year for transition:

  • Annual revenue up + 9.2% to €626.2 millionAnnual revenue up +9.2% to €626.2 million
  • Recurring operating profit among the Group’s record highs, topping €41 million, despite a peak in investments and a volatile economic backdrop
  • Solid fourth-quarter revenue in line with expectations, with the Group holding firm in a temporary “wait-and-see” market environment
  • Successful integration of PCC, which delivered an excellent performance, as well as the niche champions acquired by Chargeurs Museum Solutions

2020 set to be a milestone year, with over €750 million in revenue and a higher recurring operating margin (based on a constant operating environment)

  • Sizeable contribution expected from Chargeurs Protective Films’ new techno smart production line
  • Positive effects from synergies and cutting-edge developments at Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies
  • Significant contribution from Chargeurs Museum Solutions entities
  • Recurring operating margin expected to increase considerably in 2020 thanks to return on investment from the Game Changer plan and recently-acquired companies

Download the press release

Chargeurs creates the new world champion in museum services

Chargeurs Group announces the signing of an agreement for a major strategic acquisition in the museum services sector in the United States

The coming acquisition of the American leader, D&P Incorporated, will allow Chargeurs to position itself as the world leader in the high-growth market of integrated solutions and visitor experience services for museums around the world by bringing on board:
• America’s largest integrated solutions platform for museums, set to generate full-year revenues of more than $45 million in 2020, with an operating margin of more than 10%;
• A robust and innovative team, led by the Barnwell family, which will continue to manage the company’s day to day operations;
• The United States’ iconic player in industrial services for museums, with a unique portfolio of achievements and a signed order book worth approximately $50 million, over one year of revenue;
• Chargeurs Technical Substrates becomes Chargeurs Museum Solutions.

Chargeurs Museum Solutions now has the most worldwide comprehensive offer in museum installation services working with the major institutions, the curators, the world’s most renowned architects and designers and will represent more than €100 million in full-year revenue. It will exceed two years ahead its revenue target with an EBITDA in full-year of more than 14% and a recurring operating profit of more than 10%.

Download the press release

How we deal with our clients : our vision

Laurent Derolez, Managing Director of Chargeurs Protective Films

“In Chargeurs Protective Films, we consider each customer as a partner. Each customer has its own universe, with their own strategy, their own manufacturing assets, their own offers and their own customers. We care about them succeeding. Our priority is to listen to them. Then, our set of experts strive at making sure their production is perfect, reducing wastes and improving their quality, by providing them the right set of services and innovations.

Recently, sustainability appeared as a key component to our customers’ daily operations, aligning with our own strategy. Chargeurs Protective Films is fully committed to help them reduce their footprint through a complete set of offer: new performance with the Oxygen range and new services to help them recycle or reuse their wastes. Even more now, our customers are durable partners.”

 

Sampiero Lanfranchi, Directeur Général de Chargeurs Technical Substrates

“The new CTS strategy is fully focused on a better proximity with our markets and customers as well as on the quality of our services to always better meet their needs. Our R&D investments and the mastery of logistics chains enable us to position ourselves as a partner and advisor to the different stakeholders of the value chain.

We have perceived two main new trends. First, the ecological awareness of the value chain, which is looking for solutions that are increasingly respectful of the environment. CTS has always been on the forefront of CSR practices anticipating this market mutation. We have been able to surround ourselves with local suppliers to develop products coming from recycled materials that are themselves 100% recyclable. In the meantime, we promote upcycling and supply chain transparency through a traceability blockchain solution.

The second trend is centered on high-end customer experience. The creation of Chargeurs Creative Collection, a new network of experts in customized visual experiences, is a perfect response to this evolution. Through this unique structure in the world, we position ourselves as a partner and reference advisor to the world’s largest cultural institutions. We offer our expertise and operational capabilities to provide a complete range of services from project planning to the realization of innovative exhibitions and environments.”

 

Angela Chan, Managing Director of Chargeurs*PCC Fashion Technologies

The Chargeurs*PCC Fashion Technologies’ cultural pillar is customer obsession – “No Matter Where, No Matter When and No Matter How.” We breathe and practice our strategy daily to deliver total customer satisfaction experience.  Our sensibility of empathy and humility is how we relate to human interaction. We do not treat our customers as a sales transaction, but we genuinely care about achieving customer loyalty and satisfaction. At times our customer satisfaction is even more critical than our achievement of gross margin. Our iconic branding strategy has differentiated ourselves from our competition.  We have established ourselves at the forefront of the fashion stage as a star brand. We are a leader in our industry by providing our customers with sustainable and ethical sourcing, fashion forecasting, product innovations, and technological solutions.  We strive to reinforce the core of our culture and to deliver the utmost excellence.

 

Federico Paullier, Managing Director of Chargeurs Luxury Material

“At Chargeurs Luxury Materials our new business model is a game changer, as our clients are now also the final brands. We provide a solution of transparency and traceability to brand’s supply chains by offering Nativa branded wool and Blockchain Technology, certifying and assuring Animal Welfare, Corporate Social Responsibility, Land Management and Sustainability – at every stage. This is also a challenge as it means we need to provide an unparalleled service to our historical clients (spinners and weavers) more than ever: they become our partners in this new strategy. As we grow Nativa as an iconic brand, we will continue focusing on our customers, with integrity, reliability and trust.”

Amazing Stories

Nespresso : a filter-less story!

Do you dig coffee?

Then you’ll like Chargeurs. Thanks to 45 years of expertise in the production of self-adhesive films that protect fragile surfaces, Chargeurs Protective Films guarantees the integrity of the drip grids of Nespresso coffee machines by applying a protective film, which must be removed after the first use.

These films are 100% recyclable and are covered by two series of patents: Low Noise, optimized for operators, and Lean range, optimized to reduce the impact of CO² emissions.

These films, produced in the Novacel plant in Rouen, France, have outstanding conformability and can drive down the scrap rate, as part of a sustainable production approach. Customers can thus purchase a signature coffee machine in the Nespresso range with complete peace of mind: their machine will be in perfect condition. What else?

 

From Milan to New York, we deliver no matter where, when or how

Did you know that we produce specialized interlining solutions for major high fashion runway shows, super Hollywood movie stars, and celebrities?  Alessandro De Luca, COO of Alberta Ferretti, called us one morning panicking to complete a unique dress for Lady Gaga, and he must fly with the dress to New York that afternoon. Our Milano office drove immediately to Alessandro’s office with various types of interlining solutions and solve the production problem.  (The drive was 4 hours from our office).  We were able to deliver the solution, solved his production issue, and Alessandro was able to catch his flight to New York and give the dress to Lady Gaga.

Sylvester Stallone was attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and had a special tux made by our partner customer, Ralph Lauren.  We immediately overnighted the materials into Cannes from all over the world. We worked with Ralph Lauren to tackle the issue and was able to tailor-make the tuxedo in 24 hours.

We care about our customers’ happiness.  We deliver no matter where, no matter when and no matter how. We are here to celebrate our customers’ success.

Our commitment to people

Yves Wuyts, Sales Manager for the Benelux countries and UK at Novacel, a subsidiary of Chargeurs Protective Films

“Whether we are dealing with small or large accounts, we listen to our customers in support of their projects. Ongoing discussions with customers are a strength that enables us to design new innovations specifically tailored to their needs. The development of a low-noise range of products, in partnership with Rockwool, a major player in the composite board market, is proof of our close collaboration. One year of discussions have enabled us to develop this product dedicated to the protection of matt inside panels, representing a market of 1.5M square meter.

For 2020, we are assisting Deceunink, a market leader in window frames, in devising a global sourcing and brand standardization strategy for the European market. Next March, we will finalize a support offer intended for their Polish, German and French sites based on a product suited to their expectations. Several million square meter are on the line!”

 

Joel Lim, VP of Technical Services – Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies

“I’ve been with Chargeurs PCC for over 22 years.  I have built partnerships with my colleagues and our clients. Each client is different and has specific needs and requirements. The challenge comes into play when I need to execute their vision by recommending appropriate products and solutions. Knowledge is not innate but acquired. Regular interaction with clients results into an exchange of ideas and information. Fashion is always changing. New fabrics are being developed with enhanced performance. To provide technical solutions and reinforce our collaboration with clients, we established our Innovation Lab in the heart of New York’s Fashion Avenue District. The Lab serves as a workshop and an incubator to experiment application of our products in conjunction with the client’s design and concepts. I encourage my clients to visit our Innovation Lab to create, test, and innovate.  The Chargeurs PCC Innovation Lab not only provides the ultimate customer experience, but it is the power to the future of our business.”

 

Thomas Dreyfus, US Sales Manager for Senfa, a subsidiary of Chargeurs Technical Substrates

“As Senfa’s sales manager, Europe’s leading woven digital printing media company, I was able in 2019 to participate in the development of the US business. By building up a collaboration based on a partnership model with our customers and regional distributors, Senfa has developed market-tailored products. One of our products, Sublimis, was even voted Product of the Year at the SGIA show in Las Vegas. This makes it possible to print using water-based inks, which are less polluting than UV-based ones.

In 2020, we will pursue our efforts and replicate these successes on the West Coast and in Canada, where we have strong ambitions and good growth prospects thanks to reliable partners that share Senfa’s ambitions and values.”

The way we make the difference

Maria Meco, Senior Director of Technical Design, client of Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies

“What I appreciate about Chargeurs PCC is that people are always available. I’ve had many times when I’ve needed something in a foreign country in the middle of a factory and we have an issue, and low and behold I call or email and within minutes or hours I have a resolution. Materials get moved from one factory to another or from one country to another. Chargeurs PCC is always helping to keep my deliveries on time and that something you don’t find anywhere else. What I love about working with the company is that at any moment I can call someone in the studio, I can be speaking to the team in New York or overseas, and I get what I need instantly. Especially with being in the tri-state area and leveraging the New York studio, getting swatches made up within a day or so has been critical to our business.”

Salem Benmamar, Purchasing Manager at Miralu, client of Novacel, a subsidiary of Chargeurs Protective Films:

“Novacel is a highly reliable supplier. The quality of its products is always consistent. They meet our requirements in terms of performance and product liability. The Novacel teams know precisely what we need. In addition to being highly skilled, they are always on call and deliver a highly satisfactory service.”

Michael J. Rowan, V.P. Operations at SAS Graphic Supply USA, client of Chargeurs Technical Substrates

“SAS Graphics, suppliers to the printing industry for 35+ years, continues to adapt and change to industry trends while remaining loyal and true to its valued suppliers. Choosing the right companies to partner with is vital to sustainable success. SAS has chosen to embrace Senfa’s Team Approach to impact the soft signage market. Together, our goals align, providing high end fabrics to quality printers. What makes Senfa a good partner? Uncompromised R&D, superior products and strong company values makes Senfa a good partner to SAS.  The ability to learn from experiences and communicate are integral components in any lasting relationship. We see Senfa as committed to these goals much like us.”

The expert view from Soon Yu, International Speaker and Award-winning Author of Iconic Advantage®

Soon Yu, world renowned author of the Iconic Advantage book, former director of innovation at VF Corporation, gives you his technical view on the key success factors of Chargeurs.

“The goal for any successful organization is to develop an authentic relationship with their customers.  This can only be done when the core values and mission align with the needs of those they serve.  Research conducted by CEB Inc. found that out of all the people who said they had a relationship with a brand, 64% claimed that “shared values” was the primary reason. And this tenet is clearly demonstrated by Chargeurs’ relationship with their customers.

Being “customer centric” is core to Chargeurs’ value system and is manifested in their mission of “No matter when, no matter where, no matter how.”  This isn’t just a set of hollow platitudes.  And since 1872, this has been a consistent way of life for the Chargeurs’ team.

No Matter Where

Chargeurs is a truly global company with offices, factories and distributions hubs dotted around the world.  This allows them to service over 90 countries across every major continent.

No Matter When

Having offices in multiple time zones means that they are always available.  Their responsiveness has allowed them to gain the trust of many brands and customers which has led to a strong reputation for personalized service and top-quality products.

No Matter How

Working with the world’s largest brands requires constant progress and innovation. Over the years, Chargeurs has been at the forefront for new industry standards and technical innovations, resulting in many patents and products.

Great brands are built on a foundation of core values that are brought to life through the consistent day-to-day actions of its team.  With over 150 years of consistency, expect Chargeurs to deliver this for the next 150 years and beyond.”