Groupe Dubreuil

(Redirected from Dubreuil Group)

Groupe Dubreuil is a diversified family holding company, including Air Caraïbes and French Bee.

Groupe Dubreuil
Company typeDiversified family holding company
Industryactivities of head offices Edit this on Wikidata
Founded1924
Key people
Jean-Paul Dubreuil (chairman)
SubsidiariesAir Caraïbes, French Bee
Websitewww.groupedubreuil.com

History

edit

The Groupe Dubreuil, first wholesaler of grocery stores and fuel distribution, was founded in 1924 by Henri Dubreuil in La Roche-sur-Yon.[1] After 1950, the company developed "a network of rural gas stations".[1] In 1961, the company partnered with the Spar (food wholesaler).[2]

In 1966, Henri Dubreuil died of a heart attack and his 24-year-old son, Jean-Paul Dubreuil, succeeded him.[1]

In 1973, two years after joining two Spar wholesalers to create Oedis, the company partnered with Wholesaler Disco (Oedisco). In 1974, Jean-Paul Dubreuil opened his first Bravo supermarket (now Hyper U thereafter), in a warehouse of his father-in-law.[1][2]

An aviator, Jean-Paul Dubreuil, who passed his pilot's license at age 17,[3] established a small taxi company, Air Vendée[4] in 1975. This allows him to manage the Disco wholesaler, whose sites are distributed throughout France.[1][5]

At the same time, the group opened its first brick-and-mortar store, Bricogite, in 1980 and its first Peugeot car dealership in 1987. In 1985, supermarket resale allowed the group to continue to develop in aviation.[4]

Air Vendée is bankrupt and partnering with other small local airlines (Airlec, etc.) to establish Regional Airlines in 1992.[1][4] It links provincial cities to larger European cities.[1][4]

In 1996, Regional Airlines was publicly traded. The 10.96 percent of the capital transferred allows the company to raise 33 million francs.[1]

 
Logo of Air Caraïbes

In 1998, the company bought Air Caribbean to reduce the taxes of the Dubreuil Group, followed by Air Martinique, Air Guadeloupe, Air Saint-Martin and Air Saint-Barthely.[1]

In 2000, the group transferred its stake in Regional Airlines (70%) to Air France for EUR 42.7 million.[6][7]

At the end of 2003, following the judgment of Air Lib, another airline, the group purchased a long-haul from its subsidiary Air Caribbean for -150 million to connect Paris-Orly with the Caribbean. It offers 15% cheaper routes than Air France.[8] Seven years later, it holds 27% market share.[8]

In 2008, the company sold its oil trading subsidiary to invest in photovoltaic energy.[9][10]

In 2015, the group tried to buy back its competitor Corsair but eventually gave up.

The following year, Dubreuil Group established a low-cost long-haul airline, first named French blue, then French Bee.

In 2020, following the outbreak of COVID-19, the CMA CGM group is expected to take up 30% of the capital of Air Caribbean and French Bee, when a capital increase of EUR 50 million is achieved. The following year, the agreement was not reached.[11] The Dubreuil Group receives an EMP of 150 million.[12] At the end of December 2021, the two airline subsidiaries of the Group Dubreuil are recapitalized by the group itself at EUR 15 million each.[12]

At the end of June 2023, the Dubreuil group announced the departure of Jean-Paul Dubreuil and Marc Rochet, a duo that has been leading the group for 20 years. Jean-Paul Dubreuil, President of Groupe Dubreuil Aéro (GDA), gives his place to his son Paul-Henri Dubreuil, currently CEO of the family group Dubreuil. Christine Our-rnes-Widener will take over the position of Chief Executive Officer of Air Caribbean, Air Caribbean Atlantic, Frenchbee and Heline Cargo in place of Marc Rochet.[13]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tallec, Isabelle (25 January 2007). "L'envol de la grande distribution" [The take-off of mass distribution]. L'Express (in French).
  2. ^ a b "Groupe Dubreuil - Historique - Dubreuil". archive.wikiwix.com. 23 February 2011.
  3. ^ André, Trentin (15 March 2017). "L'irrésistible ascension de la famille Dubreuil" [The irresistible rise of the Dubreuil family]. Le Point (in French).
  4. ^ a b c d Figaro, Le (31 October 2008). "Du Bocage aux Caraïbes" [From Bocage to the Caribbean]. Le Figaro (in French).
  5. ^ Epinay, Bénédicte (27 October 1994). "Le grossiste Disco contraint de déposer son bilan" [The Disco wholesaler forced to file for bankruptcy]. Les Echos (in French).
  6. ^ Fainsilber, Denis (19 January 2000). "Air France devrait annoncer aujourd'hui le rachat de Régional Airlines" [Air France should announce today the acquisition of Regional Airlines]. Les Echos (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Global Corporate Report: Business Diary". Wall Street Journal. 20 January 2000. p. 6. ProQuest 308414270.
  8. ^ a b Michel, Caroline (13 December 2010). "Le pirate des Caraïbes à l'assaut d'Air France" [The Caribbean pirate assaults Air France]. Capital.fr (in French). Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  9. ^ Guimard, Emmanuel (9 November 2009). "Le groupe Dubreuil monte en régime dans l'énergie solaire" [The Dubreuil group is up in solar energy]. Les Echos (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  10. ^ Guimard, Emmanuel (21 January 2008). "Le groupe Dubreuil se diversifie dans le solaire" [The Dubreuil group is diversifying into the solar]. Les Echos (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  11. ^ Guérin, Jean-Yves (11 February 2021). "CMA CGM renonce à monter à bord d'Air Caraïbes et French Bee" [CMA CGM gives up boarding Air Caraïbes and French Bee]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b Guérin, Jean-Yves (17 December 2021). "Air Caraïbes et French Bee espèrent être bénéficiaires en 2022" [Air Caraïbes and French Bee hope to be beneficiaries in 2022]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  13. ^ Figaro, Le (29 June 2023). "Changements à la tête du groupe Dubreuil (Air Caraïbes, French bee)" [Changes at the head of the Dubreuil group (Air Caraïbes, French bee)]. Le Figaro (in French). AFP. Retrieved 30 June 2023.