april 2010
The negotiations leading up to the merger between Coteba and Sogreah have now been completed, creating France's largest independent engineering company which is called ARTELIA.
This is a merger of equals, and the new group is co-chaired by Alain Bentéjac, chairman of Coteba, and Jacques Gaillard, chairman of Sogreah. ARTELIA's capital is fully owned by its management and employees.
ARTELIA aims to become the benchmark independent engineering company. On the basis of Coteba and Sogreah's 2009 figures, the new group will generate turnover of 300 million euros per year and have a total workforce of 2540, making it one of the largest French companies in the sector and enabling it to consolidate and develop its position on international markets. Its main activities are engineering, project management and consultancy, principally in the fields of construction and industry (where Coteba is very strongly positioned), water and the environment (where Sogreah is a market leader in France) and urban development and transportation, where the new group is aiming for strong growth.
ARTELIA intends to harness the synergies between the two companies, drawing on the broad range of skills that they embrace, particularly in areas relating to sustainable development: energy (including energy-efficient buildings and renewable energy), the healthcare sector, urban development and sustainable cities, infrastructure projects of various kinds, etc.
The new group will also capitalise on the two companies' complementary geographical networks, developing activities both across France (30 regional offices, 700 employees) and around the world (40 permanent offices, 600 employees). International development is a key area of ARTELIA's strategy, with the group intending to strengthen its positions both in Europe and in the main emerging countries.
ARTELIA hopes to act as a magnet for other companies in the engineering field, acquiring a long-term position as a leader in this sector on a European scale.
