A capital restructuring of the Poclain Group will enable the family division – headed by Laurent Bataille, Group chairman – to boost its capital and strengthen the circle of family shareholders. The operation, led by Crédit Mutuel Equity, will also fortify Poclain’s financial resources, allowing it to implement a policy of external growth targeted on complementary technological building blocks.
The Poclain brand, created by Georges Bataille in 1930, has been a byword for hydraulic transmission since 1985. That was the year that the Bataille family bought Poclain Hydraulics, taking over the company’s development so that it now forms the Poclain Group, which it still controls. Located in Oise in northern France, this family-run, mid-market company specialises in designing, manufacturing and marketing hydraulic motors, pumps and other hydraulic components for off-road mobile machinery.
With a turnover in excess of € 400 million, Poclain employs 2,500 people in 20 countries with 9 factories, 21 commercial subsidiaries and 8 research centres. The company, which holds a leading position in its market, plans to continue its expansion by capitalising on its major research work and distinct technological expertise. In fact, Poclain devotes 7% of its turnover on average to R&D so that it can devise innovative solutions for the new models developed by its manufacturer customers.
The Poclain Group is firmly committed to a growth and strategic transformation plan that aims to boost its market share and meet the challenges of tomorrow more effectively: the increasing electrification of equipment, the growing use of connectivity in hydraulic systems (IoT, data), the expansion of related services, the reduced ecological footprint, etc.
Poclain is also deeply committed to CSR, as it has been for many years. For example, employees have historically had a large equity stake in the company via an FCPE (a shareholding investment vehicle). In addition, there is a continuous training programme for employees and partners, and the corporate governance is highly developed. More specifically, Poclain has pledged to follow four of the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations, based on the company’s strategic key priorities: people, innovation, independence and international development. As part of this commitment, Poclain has begun the shift towards electromobility: its goal is to offer zero-carbon solutions later this year and retain its technological leadership in the transmission market.
