Archive for the 'events' Category

Veolia: the shareholders approve the CEO's strategy

Auto Date Thursday, May 17th, 2012

 

Rarely been so general meeting consensus than Veolia. The 700 shareholders gathered Wednesday in Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre, applauded the strategy of Mr. Frérot and voted no qualms in joining the Board of three new directors. Jacques Aschenbroich, CEO of Valeo, Maryse Aulagnon, president of the land Affine, and Nathalie Rachou, Topiary Finance manager, replacing in particular Jean-Francois Dehecq and Esther Koplowitz, both close to Proglio, the former CEO of service to local communities.

Absent at the meeting, it was not mentioned once during the session, either by the leaders of Veolia or by its shareholders. Yet, now boss of EDF but still a director of Veolia, he led a revolt against his successor without end, which he blames his change in strategy. In February, Proglio had launched an unsuccessful coup attempt against Mr. Frérot. More recently, his relatives have circulated in the press an anonymous note criticizing the management of the CEO.

This could, in the coming days, to make further revisions to its teams in particular, to oust managers who maintain the revolt against him.

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Lower CO2 emissions in Europe in 2011

Auto Date Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

 

Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate, welcomed Tuesday the decline in carbon emissions of 12,000 power plants and factories of Twenty-Seven, Norway and Liechtenstein submitted to CO2 quotas. These emissions have decreased by 2% in 2011 while GDP growth in the European Union (EU) rose 1.5%.

"This positive result shows that the ETS (the system of trading commonly known as CO2 exchange, Ed) allows emission reductions at lower cost," said the former Danish Minister of Environment from Brussels.

According to the Commission, less than 1% of installations weighing less than 1% of carbon emissions did not meet their cap. In addition, 2% of facilities did not submit their record on April 30, annual renewal of the quota system.

The refusal of the Chinese airlines

Since 2010, the airlines participating in the European system. In 2011, almost all companies reported their figures. But it is only since 1 January 2012 all companies, European or not, operating flights to or from the EU must meet emissions ceilings cheap pay day loans.

As the 12,000 facilities are already covered by EU ETS, companies that exceed their target can buy carbon credits on the stock exchange, and those who are virtuous can sell. Ten Chinese and Indian companies that represent approximately 3% of aviation emissions have declined to publish their releases. Beijing has so far strongly opposed the application of CO2 allowances to its airlines in the European skies.

The economic crisis, since 2009, has reduced CO2 emissions on the Old Continent and brought to market a surplus of credits. Result, the price per tonne of CO2 has collapsed to about 12.5 euros in mid-2011 to 6.7 euros on Tuesday on the spot market.

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Record losses for Panasonic

Auto Date Saturday, May 12th, 2012

 

The most serious losses in its history, which began in 1918. That is the conclusion of Fumio Ohtsubo, President and CEO of Panasonic, 66, who is bowing out and will be replaced June 27 by his caddy, Kazuhiro Tsuga, 55, responsible for audio and video products.

Panasonic has just accused a net loss of 772 billion yen (7.47 billion euros) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. Its sales were down 10%, to 76 billion euros. Like its Japanese counterparts, the Osaka group was affected by the disasters in Japan and Thailand in a year. The earthquake has affected its production for several months in the Archipelago, where Panasonic gets most of its revenue (57%). And floods in the ancient kingdom of Siam have blocked the production of electronic assemblies.

In addition, Panasonic, fourth global manufacturer of televisions, suffered from the continuous breakthrough of two world champions, the South Korean Samsung and LG. In a global market of TVs fell by 0.3% to 247.7 million units in 2011, according to research firm DisplaySearch, sales of Panasonic declined 19% in the last quarter of 2011, slower than those of Sony (- 34%) and Sharp (- 30%) faxless cash advances.

For the fiscal year just beginning, televisions remain in deficit. Panasonic, which has invested in a technology in decline, plasma televisions, expects a further decline in sales to 15.5 million units this year against 17 million units for the previous year.

But saving measures initiated last year with the elimination of 17,000 jobs worldwide, should bear fruit. Panasonic intends to reinvent itself in solar panels, batteries for electric vehicles (bicycle, motorcycle and car) and systems to optimize the management of energy consumption of households. This strategy was accompanied by redesigning the group into eight divisions instead of six earlier this year. The changes should lead Panasonic reconnect with a small net profit this year to 484 million euros.

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OPEC downgraded its forecast for eurozone growth

Auto Date Thursday, May 10th, 2012

 

Economists at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) do not see the evolution of the European economy with optimism. "Industrial activity continues to decline and it remains to be seen whether, in the second half of 2012, growth will become positive, as is widely expected," it said in its monthly report the organization based in Vienna, published Thursday.

OPEC said that political uncertainty on the Old Continent is "higher a few months ago," because the "results of any recent presidential elections in France, the forthcoming parliamentary elections in France and the Netherlands, of new elections likely in Greece and a referendum on the fiscal pact in Ireland. " All factors that lead OPEC to forecast a GDP of the eurozone declined by 0.4% this year, a deterioration compared to the 0.3% decline expected in the previous report.

Drop of oil by 3.9% in April

OPEC, which produces about one third of the world's crude, month after month scrutinizes the state of the international economy. About the United States, the organization of Vienna is rather pleasantly surprised with a "higher growth than expected." U.S. growth forecast unchanged at 2.3% for 2012. With one caveat: the budget deficit will remain around 8% of GDP, above the average of OECD countries, at 5.6%.

Regarding oil, OPEC noted that after three months of increases at the beginning of the year, a barrel of black gold has declined in April, 3.9% for the "reference basket of OPEC ", which stood at 118.18 dollars (against 119.71 dollars per barrel of Brent listed in London, main world market reference).

A decline that has begun to feed for three weeks in the pump prices for French motorists. The increase in OPEC production (mainly provided by Saudi Arabia, Libya and Iraq) has allowed the placing on the market by nearly a million barrels per day (mb / d) on the market since the start of the year.

The estimated global oil demand for 2012 remains virtually unchanged this month, to 88.7 mb / d, up 0.9 mb / d over a year. It is driven by the "stabilization of the U.S. economy" and the closure of all Japanese nuclear power plants.

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Rupert Murdoch "unfit to lead"

Auto Date Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

 

From our correspondent in London

Rupert Murdoch and his son James are roundly scolded by a British parliamentary committee responsible for a report on the scandal of the late plays of the tabloid News of the World. Rupert Murdoch "is not fit to lead a large international group," concludes the report released Tuesday. The board deems "surprising" the allegations of Murdoch, father and son under which they would not have been aware of the practices of spying on a large scale in force in their newspapers. "Rupert Murdoch closed his eyes and demonstrated a willful blindness to what was happening in their societies and publications," the whips 121-page report, the culmination of nine months of hearings. MEPs also say that the News of the World and its publisher News International deliberately "misled the committee about the true nature and extent of the investigations they claimed to have carried on wiretapping."

Several leaders of the media group is also the subject of harsh criticism. His ex-CEO Les Hinton is considered an "accomplice" of concealment of practices in the home. The parliamentary committee has, however, divided on the report's findings, adopted by six votes against four. Conservative members refused to accept the judgment against Rupert Murdoch's ability to manage. Labour MP Tom Watson, spearheading the investigation, has firmly told the opposite: "News International has conducted a cover-up scale of its illegal actions instant credit reports. Its top leaders have lied to Parliament repeatedly. And the two men at the head, Rupert and James Murdoch, should now respond to these facts. They have corrupted our country to shame our police and our Parliament. They lied, cheated, practiced blackmail and intimidation. "

David Cameron called

The report leaves the House of Commons to decide on possible sanctions, which could involve the convening of Rupert Murdoch for a public apology. It is an embarrassment media mogul facing some of its shareholders, especially Americans, tired of the damage inflicted by News Corp. in this case. The report could also weigh negatively in the review by Ofcom, the regulator of the British media, the legitimacy of the group to manage the BSkyB satellite TV bouquet, whose license could be withdrawn.

Finally, the parliamentary report increases the pressure on David Cameron, who was summoned Monday to the House of Commons where he justified his support for his culture minister Jeremy Hunt challenged for its proximity to the leaders of the Murdoch group in reviewing the file BSkyB. Tom Watson claimed that the Prime Minister and his predecessors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown send the justice their email exchanges with the leaders of the Murdoch group.

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Higher soybean and rapeseed concerned

Auto Date Monday, April 30th, 2012

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Tax: PSG lost to the alley

Auto Date Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

 

Complex and dense, the French tax system also has a little side fantasy. Example with the misnamed "tax on shows," which strikes no more cultural show but applies to sporting events, to circles and gambling houses This tax is 8% on entrance fees, except for motor racing and … pigeon shooting, imposed, for some reason, to 14%. Other sports are exempted. A very serious order lists them: athletics, judo but also bowls, sports bowling, target shooting, javelin, long palm … Our zealous technocrats have wanted to forget anyone. Finally, the municipalities, who are the beneficiaries of the entertainment tax, may decide to specific exemptions.

Believing that such exemptions are breaking the principle of equal taxation, the football club Paris Saint-Germain took the case before the Constitutional Council. In vain. The Sages have found these exemptions constitutional because they are based on objective and rational. "The Order lists mainly sports whose quality is not the first to draw crowds," said Council. And to clarify: "The revenue generated by a competition of cane, roller skating, trampolining, or twirling stick (which are exempt) are not commensurate with those that could generate a competitive tennis, football or rugby. "We can not agree more.

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Airbus suppliers to the penalty

Auto Date Friday, April 20th, 2012

 

Will they follow? The question hangs over Airbus, like Boeing, which monitors the behavior of its subcontractors. Similarly, the major suppliers so-called "rank 1", such as Safran and Thales, regularly take the pulse of their own ecosystem. Together, the industry will meet the challenge of rising rates announced (see graphic).

Having racked up record orders in 2011, Airbus must produce more and more to deliver in a timely manner its customers. Despite economic uncertainties, demand is high. The world fleet will more than double to over 31,000 units in the next twenty years. In 2012, Airbus expects to deliver 570 aircraft (+ 6% from 2011). Boeing and put on 585 to 600 deliveries in 2012 against 477 a year earlier.

Suppliers are energized. Airbus does internally and 15% of the value of an aircraft. He buys 9 to 10 billion euros of components and subassemblies for other U.S. and between 11 to 12 billion in Europe and the rest of the world. In France, many providers depend on more than 30% and sometimes 100% of its orders. Airbus health is linked to that of its subcontractors. And vice versa. "We support our partners to increase their industrial performance. We have strengthened our team with our suppliers to optimize their production, "said Fabrice Brégier, CEO of Airbus.

We need to fund this growth. "Our industry is highly capital. Our working capital needs are important to fund our stock. We produce three to six months ahead of the pace of the builder. To garner a turnover of euro, we must invest one euro, "says Emmanuel Viellard, president of Lisi Aerospace, a leading European aerospace fasteners (airframes and engines). "Between 2010 and 2015, we plan to invest 250 million euros to finance 60% increase in activity linked to increased rates of manufacturers," he adds.

A fund of 100 million

This is when the order books are re-inflated to block the subcontractors are struggling to find financing. Especially SMEs as banks remain cautious. The Gifas, the union bosses of Aeronautics, conducted an awareness campaign on this theme. He watches any failure. Initiatives are multiplying to help SMEs. Next to the Strategic Investment Fund (FSI, depending on the Deposit) and type Aerofund dedicated funds, the state decided, with the support of Airbus and several banks, to develop a new tool Financial that takes into account the specificities of the sector. A fund of 100 million euro was launched to provide long-term bank loans to finance the "time costs" (NRC) under the pooling of risk between manufacturer and subcontractors. They must subsidize the upstream (design and development) by assuming the burden of NRC which are written on the number of aircraft sold. ROI – 10 to 15 years after the launch of a new device – is tied to the success of a program whose life often exceeds thirty years.

"Triple A Aviation"

But we must also rely on late shift that the first deliveries. They trap the subcontractors that produced in advance of equipment that will be paid upon delivery. In this case, inventories swell and cash suffers. Latecoere, which provides fuselage sections and wiring systems, has been close to bankruptcy. Heavily indebted, it has been hard hit by delays in the A 380 and B 787. An extreme case that prompted Airbus, in particular, to fly to the rescue by setting in advance of development costs and by providing four years of work load. As if the manufacturer gave a triple-A to its supplier, which reassures banks.

"We do not direct funding, but sometimes we make a one-time, targeted, said Marc Ventre, Executive Officer of Safran. Very keen to preserve the capacity for innovation in France, we give visibility to our partners by providing the production schedules in advance and by contracting our relations. "" Banks no longer rely only on past performance and objectives. This reassures them when we have commitments on four or seven years, "says Julien de Souza, president of Mecachrome (for engine components and fuselage components). The SME 256 million euros in sales projected to increase by 20% of its investments between 2012 (16 million) and 2014.

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Porsche prosperous land of Trabant

Auto Date Friday, March 30th, 2012

 

The cranes are pushing a new building in the green meadows of Saxony. The roar of the work is covered by the squealing tires of cars on the circuit house. Welcome to Porsche, where employees show a big smile when they come to work in a sporty atmosphere crowned by an unabashed success. Never the manufacturer of luxury cars has not worn as well in this crisis year. And it is in its new plant in Leipzig, former GDR, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Porsche owes much of its success.

"We have not felt the crisis, welcomes Siegfried Bülow, owner of the Porsche plant in Leipzig. The premium has never been better. With the crisis, consumers say it's time to break their piggy banks instead of seeing their savings melt! "The manufacturer, whose birthplace is located in Zuffenhausen near Stuttgart, has produced nearly 117,000 vehicles in 2011, an increase of 34% over the previous year. His two best-selling models, the Cayenne (57% products in 2011) and the Panamera (32%), came off the assembly line in Leipzig.

Rationalized production

"Our goal is to sell 200,000 cars in 2018, a good figure for a premium brand, explains Bülow. We are not in the scheme of classical builders who want to sell millions of vehicles. "The Leipzig plant, which produced 90,000 vehicles in 2011, will play a significant role in this success. The Macan, the future 4 × 4 compact entry-level, will be made entirely of 50,000 copies a year in the new wing of the complex under construction starting in late 2013. "It's a real Porsche. We hope the same effect as the Boxter in the sports segment, "exults Bülow, who has already tried Macan and was convinced that young families will gather out the 4 × 4 luxurious and sporty entry level.

Porsche investing 500 million euros in Leipzig and will double its workforce by hiring 1,000 employees by 2013. With nearly 11 billion in revenue and an operating margin of 18 online payday loan lenders.7%, Porsche claims to be the most profitable manufacturer in the world. Recipes for success are in Leipzig. With great flexibility, the hours can be reduced from 200 to 60 hours per month. Production has been streamlined, including through logistics innovations. The plant does not store more than one day of production equipment and time components on the assembly line to reduce storage costs and increase efficiency.

Each team takes 3-6 minutes to do its job, instead of 45 to 90 seconds in a German factory "normal", to ensure premium quality. A computer with each vehicle, which bears the name of his client to instantly detect defects in assembly and avoid costly interventions after assembly. Assembly lines employ only staff ultraqualifié, able to intervene at all stages of car manufacturing. The flow is continuous, in three shifts on a rotating 24 hours on 24.

At the end of the chain, the workers show their glee when they hear the first roar of raucous 430 horsepower V8 with a Panamera GTS. Another cause for celebration: earlier this year, the workers received a bonus of 7,600 euros. For Porsche, there is no question of relocation. "Our customers are willing to pay more for the Made in Germany, said Bülow. In Germany, the environment has tremendous potential, thanks to infrastructure, numerous research and development, the fabric of subcontractors and the quality of the workforce. It is unique in the world. "

The expertise was indeed present in the Leipzig region. Porsche has had the audacity to build on the old Trabant manufacturers of the era of the GDR, to build its cars … winning bet.

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Alstom and Areva compete with their offshore wind

Auto Date Monday, March 26th, 2012

 

Home stretch for the tender in giant offshore wind, an investment of 10 billion euros. While the verdict is promised before the presidential election, companies occupy the land. On Monday, Mestrallet, Oursel Luc and Xavier Huillard, respectively boss of GDF Suez, Areva and Vinci, traveling around the Upper Normandy (Fécamp, Dieppe, Le Havre) to present their business plan. Last Monday, the Industry Minister, Eric Besson, has unveiled the prototype of the new offshore wind Alstom, the site of book in Loire-Atlantique.

The tender is dominated by the clash between Alstom and Areva, among wind turbine manufacturers. They are actually competing in four of the five fields. Each claims its strengths: innovation for Alstom against the experience for Areva.

"This wind turbine is technologically innovative and ambitious for France," said Patrick Kron, Alstom's chief executive. The blades of 73.5 meters is the longest in the world. The group opted for a permanent magnet alternator, no gearbox, which should reduce operating costs. In the end, his power of 6 megawatts (MW) against 5 MW Areva makes it the most wind power marine world.

For his part, Luc Oursel, the boss of Areva, said his group has eight years ahead, with more installed wind turbines in the North Sea credit reports free. By 2015, the group expects 120 of its machines to produce electricity. "All of our wind turbines, before being implemented, are tested at full power on a test bench unique," says Luc Oursel. Like the integrated model of the nuclear group, its wind business is careful to keep control of several strategic industries such as manufacturing of the blades. "Our watchword is reliability," says Luc Oursel.

Regional investments

The blades of the first prototype of Alstom, down, do begin to spin that in a month. A second prototype crashed at sea, will be operational before the end of the year. The inauguration of the wind Alstom was made before many elected Pays de la Loire and Brittany. The group, which is involved in the consortium led by EDF Energies new, has indeed committed to make several investments in the region, allowing it to benefit from their active support in competition with Areva.

Alstom also claims the construction and installation of 2,300 onshore turbines. However, his lack of experience in offshore wind may explain the appearance in recent weeks by rumors of a possible acquisition of German RE Power or Danish Vestas wind turbine specialists, Patrick Kron has qualified to of this "speculation".