JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #111 - March 2017 - Special JEC World - o - 4

OPlNlON Composite parts producers

Carboman

"Structuring the industrial chain in the composite
sector is indispensible and inevitable"
Just weeks after the inauguration of new facilities in Vannes (western
France), the location of Multiplast's traditional headquarters, we met
with Dominique Dubois, the CEO of the dynamic Groupe Carboman. Mr.
Dubois accepted to tell us more about its structural developments and
to share his vision of the composite scene.

Dominique Dubois: The Groupe
Carboman (Carbone Manufacture) is a
financial holding that encompasses the
Décision SA company in Switzerland and
Multiplast along with its two subsidiaries
Plastinov and Plastéol in France. All four
companies are specialists in the processing
of composite materials. Of course, they
don't all do exactly the same thing, but they
do share the same background, which is
working with fibres and resins. Multiplast
and Décision are very close - though
Décision is a bit more "small-scale" and
Multiplast, with its more substantial means
and technical teams, more industrial.

business in the wind energy sector, and is
one of the only French companies with
the technological capability to make wind
turbine blades. Its capacity for making
outsized parts is something it shares with
Multiplast. The other part of Plastinov's
business is in the industrial sector, where
we make series-produced polyester parts. It
is very complementary, and we work a lot
on transferring technology from one head
office to another in order to tackle larger
markets and offer our customers cheaper
solutions.
As a matter of policy, I refuse to
close any doors, but you do have to
set priorities"

JCM: In what way are the acquisitions of
Plastinov and Plastéol relevant for Groupe
Carboman?

JCM: Are you considering any new
investments or horizontal integration over
the medium term?

D. D.:The expertise of Décision SA

D. D.: Business in the composite sector
is always in a state of change, and we
continuously invest in new resources
and skills. As we continue our organic
growth, we are always on the lookout for
new acquisitions that could give us new
expertise, new customers, or new market
areas.

and Multiplast is very designer oriented.
Both companies create prototypes and/
or very small series of extremely hightech parts that are often very expensive,
though the price is consistent with the
level of performance required. A number
of times, we've had to drop customers
who wanted us to produce more ordinary,
(and especially) less expensive parts. So we
looked for a company to acquire that would
be capable of fleshing out our offering.
Plastinov constitutes an opportunity
that we jumped on. It does most of its

4

DOMINIQUE DUBOIS
CEO
Groupe Carboman SA

"

JEC Composites Magazine: Can you tell us
more about the group's current scope, organization and business lines?

with

JCM: What are your targets in terms of
group size and geographical presence?

D. D.: Our 2020 target is 500 people,
€50 million, five countries. That might
seem ambitious, but in this fast-changing

jec composites magazine / No111 March 2017

©JM. Liot

world, it is feasible and even desirable.
The composite industry is in no way
structured like the metal industry, and its
diversification will occur in one way or
another to meet demand from the major
specifiers. Both size and geographical
scope are two essential elements in
sustaining a group. The French market may
be large, but it isn't large enough to provide
for a large structure. And even if it were, it
would be too risky to put all one's eggs in
it! A new law, a change in the tax system, or
even a change in the political majority can
have dramatic consequences for a smaller
business.
JCM: Do you think that it will be absolutely
necessary for you to expand in order to
develop? Isn't organic growth enough?

D. D.: No, I don't believe that organic

growth is enough. Acquiring a foreign
company means opening up a new market,
but it also forces you to think differently. It
is an enriching experience, and sharing best
practices helps everyone to make progress.
Besides, there is the local aspect, which
is also important, in spite of what some
people say.

JCM: You have a significant presence in
markets like yachting, defence, aerospace,
and transportation. Do you wish to expand
your area of activity?

D. D.: As a matter of policy, I refuse
to close any doors. But in real life, you
have to set yourself some priorities.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #111 - March 2017 - Special JEC World - o
